Hold Your Breath
by hsm753
Summary: Shawn and Hunter are two fathers at their wits end. Cheyenne and Aurora are two teenagers with attitude. But what happens when tragedy strikes and causes all their lives to be changed forever?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Shawn strode quietly through the long hallway, hearing the sounds of his cowboy boots and his car keys hanging from his front pocket. His boots echoed down the hall for a long time until he finally made it to a large room, entering the doorway and closing it behind him. He walked over to a set of chairs and sat down in the chair close to a large desk, sighing as he began to feel his legs ache from all the work he had done on the ranch all day. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, especially the Principle. He began rubbing his sore legs gently as he looked around the place, the same old things where they were the last time except for the small globe on a small table nearby.

Just around the corner, a woman in a black dress came through the door on the far side of the room.

"You know the drill, Mr. Michaels."

Shawn got up slowly and walked over to the woman, who smiled lightly at him as she held the door open for the Hall of Famer.

"How was your day?" Shawn asked.

"Good." The Woman said in a smart tone.

Once Shawn entered the room, he was greeted by a tall man wearing a suit and had short black hair. This was the Principle. He motioned to the chair in front of the long desk and Shawn quickly sat down, wanting to relieve his aching muscles again.

Shawn sighed. "What happened this time?"

"Well, your daughter got caught skipping class today." The Principle said, folding his hands.

"Look, I've already talked to her about this. She know's better than-"

"And, not to mention, she was caught making out with her boyfriend in the women's locker room."

Shawn closed his eyes tight, then opened them to look straight in the Principle's eyes. "I wasn't aware of that part. All they told me was that she was skipping again."

The Principle leaned back in his chair and quickly reached under his desk and pulled out a brown folder with papers coming out of the sides. He pushed them back in and opened the folder completely. Shawn leaned forward in his seat and saw that the folder was his daughter's school records. He sighed and leaned back, knowing what this meant.

"The last time we met, I told you that your daughter was at risk of suspension. Is that really what you want for your daughter?"

Shawn peered up. "The question is, Mr. Peterson, is that what _you_ want?"

The Principle looked at Shawn with eager eyes. "Listen, Mr. Michaels, your daughter is a bright girl, but she needs to stop this foolishness and get serious on her studies, being her grades have also slipped within the past three weeks."

"I assure you," Shawn sighed. "It won't happen again. I'll take care of this."

The Principle leaned back in his chair. "We could offer her some counseling here at the school. I think that would help her a little."

"A little piece of 'The Belt' helps, too. Let me be the one to handle this."

"Mr. Michaels," The Principle folded his hands. "Maybe disciplining isn't always the answer."

"Back in my day, it was."

* * *

As Cheyenne sat quietly in the chair next to the front desk, she watched quietly as her Dad was talking with Mr. Peterson. Again.

She didn't understand what she did wrong. All she did was invite Derek to see her. No big deal. Yet now she felt trapped between the school she hated so much and the Dad she wished she didn't have around.

She pulled out her cell phone and quickly noticed a text from Derek himself. She smiled and texted him back, finally getting something good out of this horrible day.

Just then, a shadow engulfed Cheyenne's body and she quickly looked up, seeing the angry face of her Dad before anything else. She lowered her phone and looked at him with a puzzled look, as if she didn't do anything at all.

"What?"

"Don't talk to me like that, young lady. Do you know what you've gotten yourself into?!"

Cheyenne looked around the room, seeing a couple of other students and a few employees looking at her. She wished this wasn't happening. She closed her eyes as her Dad kept yelling.

"...And another thing, why are you making out with your so-called boyfriend? Do you know that is un-called for? In the women's locker room nonetheless?! You've gotta be kidding me!"

Cheyenne opened her eyes and saw her Dad head straight out the front door and down the hall, his boots stomping madly down the hall. She sighed and looked down, knowing those in the room was still looking at her. She could hear the whispers and chuckles to prove her theory.

Even at seventeen, Cheyenne wished she didn't have to deal with her Dad everyday.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Aurora kept laughing at the many texts she was getting from her friends, saying funny jokes and telling stories about other people that weren't really true. Once she got a text from Jenny Sanders, Aurora put her phone in her lap and quickly put her headphones in her ears, cutting up the volume on her Ipod.

Hunter kept looking over at his daughter, surprised at her behavior, and quickly shot his glance back at the road. He had driven for at least six hours since last night, and hadn't gotten any sleep at all. He couldn't wait until he made it to the apartment he, Stephanie, and Aurora had to stay in for a least a year. Another house that came and went.

Keeping the silence long enough, Hunter decided to speak, "I think you'll like the new house. It's not as small as the last one but its got a cool deck to look out over the countryside and you can talk to the new neighbors and-"

He looked over at Aurora, who had looked out the window, those sound-things in her ears. Hunter never understood the meaning of those sound-things.

"Aurora?"

Aurora cranked up the volume on her Ipod, wanting nothing to do with her Dad. She really didn't want nothing to do with this place they just had to move to. She felt like she was just dragged along for the ride.

"Aurora?"

Aurora gave up. She took one of the buds out of her ear and looked at her Dad. "Yeah?"

"Did you listen to a thing I said?" Hunter managed to keep his eyes on the road.

"What were you saying?"

Hunter sighed. "Don't worry about it."

Aurora put the bud back in her ear and kept listening to her favorite song. She stared out the window and saw nothing but brown sand and cactuses along with small towns here and there.

"Don't worry, honey, sooner or later we'll be in the main part on San Antonio."

Aurora just so happened to hear her dad's voice. She took the same bud out of her ear. "Like I could care less."

Hunter breathed deeply at his daughter's tone, wishing there was a way to make her understand. "Honey, we had to move away for business. When you get older, you'll understand that we adults have responsibilities."

"And yet you had to drag me along." Aurora smiled a little.

"If your Mom was in this car she'd beat you until you were black and blue."

"Why?"

"Well," Hunter flipped on the turn signal as he approached a stop sign. "She's got less patience than I do."

"I see where I get my knowledge."

"What was that?"

Just then, a red car came up behind Hunter's car and Hunter quickly noticed who was driving, laughing when he saw the cross hanging from the mirror.

"Shawn's behind us. He looks pretty mad."

Aurora looked behind the car seat and saw the red car. "Oh, and Cheyenne's with him, too."

She quickly grabbed her cell phone and began tapping it this way and that. Hunter looked at her, a little intrigued by this so-called 'new technology'. Aurora looked behind her with a smile, and quickly saw the laugh coming from Cheyenne in the car behind, causing Aurora to laugh, too. Hunter decided to let his window down and wave at Shawn, who waved back as Hunter started laughing.

"Really, Dad?" Aurora asked.

"That's the old-fashioned way of texting."

Aurora sighed and quickly put the bud back in her ear, the car driving away from the stop sign. She just wished she could have stayed with her friends back in New Hampshire, but, of course, they had to move away on business. Now, seeing Cheyenne, she now knew who to talk to.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Stephanie managed to stir the pot of meat on the stove while managing to hear her two daughters play in the living room. She was happy to hear them laugh and giggle since it was their first time playing on the living room floor. She managed to keep the pot stable on the stove and began to wonder about her husband and older daughter, who hadn't been able to leave New Hampshire since last night. It must have had to been a tiring day for the two. Stephanie wanted to wait patently, but didn't seem to keep her patience when she kept dodging over at the clock on the nearby wall. It was getting late.

Just then, noises came from the front of the house, and the two children raced to see who it was.

"Daddy!" Vaughn yelled, hugging her Dad.

"Hi, Dad." Murphy said, making way past Vaughn to hug her Dad.

"Hey, guys. How's my little angel's doing?" Hunter laughed and quickly turned towards the front door, where Aurora had slipped through and was now on the balcony, tapping the screen on her phone.

Hunter closed the front door and turned around to see Vaughn's outstretched hands. He slowly picked her up and balanced her in his arms.

"Dad, you should see the plans me and Vaughn have made to fix the interior." Murphy said, walking along her Dad.

"What's wrong with the interior?" Hunter asked, walking towards the kitchen.

"You know we don't like white, Daddy." Murphy said, laughing a little.

Hunter chuckled. "Vaughn, why don't you go play with your sister, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Vaughn slowly slipped from her Dad's arms and quickly walked back into the living room with her sister.

Hunter walked into the kitchen and quickly placed a kiss on Stephanie's lips, Stephanie returning the kiss with a smile.

"What are you smiling about?" Stephanie asked.

"You know why. After all of that time in New Hampshire, its good being away for a change. At least now this is our home." Hunter managed to turn Stephanie away from the pan.

Stephanie placed her hands on Hunter's shoulder and kissed him gently. "Well, I'm hoping my Dad gives us a break on these business deals."

"Me too, Steph."

Just then, Aurora came into the kitchen and looked into the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk and quickly poured her a glass. She looked at her parents and quickly left the room.

"Aurora," Stephanie called. "Hug your Mom."

Aurora came back into the kitchen, sighing, and quickly hugged her Mom, carefully not spilling the milk, before turning around and escaping up the staircase to her picked out room.

Stephanie turned back to the pan and cut the burner off, the meat ready for dinner. She sighed and turned back to Hunter, who had walked over to the staircase to watch his older daughter carefully. Stephanie walked into the living room, past the two children, and towards her husband, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"She still hasn't reconsidered liking the place, has she?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Hunter turned towards Stephanie and slipped his hands around her waist. "Can Vaughn and Murphy please stay young?"

Stephanie laughed a little and kissed Hunter. "As if that's possible."

Vaughn and Murphy looked up at their parents and quickly turned back around when Hunter stared at them. They tried to hide their laughter from the conversation their parents had.

* * *

"I am so sick of this, Cheyenne. The next time you get caught skipping class or with that boyfriend of yours, I'll see fit to send you to juvenile hall."

Cheyenne closed her eyes briefly as she heard her Dad yelling as they had parked in the driveway of the house. Shawn had yelled at her for almost twenty minutes, adding more and more conversations when Cheyenne had tried to speak to him. It wasn't going good at all.

"I just don't know what to do with you. I mean, is that what you really want me to do, Cheyenne? Send you away?"

Cheyenne sighed. "I'm sorry, Dad. It won't happen again."

"You told me that the last time and the time before that."

"Dad," Cheyenne managed to look at him, seeing the anger on his face. "I'm making a promise this time. I swear, it will never happen again."

"You're lucky that Principle didn't suspend you, let alone expel you. Your school records are starting to fill up all the blank lines that were there in Elementary School."

"This is High School, Dad. Anything can happen. In Elementary, they tried so hard to get you to act right, but almost everyone in my class rebelled."

"And is that what you did, too? Rebelled against everyone? Even me?"

Cheyenne tried to find a way to explain what she had just said, but it didn't make too much sense to herself, either. She really wasn't one to a rebel so easily. She looked over at her Dad, whose eyes lowered to the floor, and she quickly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Did I hurt you, Dad?"

Shawn peered up. "Yes, you hurt me. You don't think I have feelings, too? I'm just trying to make you see things the way there supposed to be."

A noise from the outside of the car caused Shawn and Cheyenne to look out the window, where they saw Rebecca standing on the front porch looking at the red car, a worried look on her face.

Shawn opened his car door. "We'll talk some more about this later, okay?"

"Okay." Cheyenne whispered.

Once they both got out of the car, Rebecca greeted Shawn with a kiss while she hugged her daughter.

"How was school, honey?"

"Okay."

"I know what happened at school today. We both do."

"I knew that Dad knew."

Rebecca let go of her daughter and quickly walked into the house with her, closing the door behind them. Shawn had already made way over to the table, sitting in a chair with his head pressed down on his arms. Cheyenne quickly walked upstairs while balancing her book bag on her shoulders and disappeared into her room. Rebecca walked over towards Shawn and placed her hands on his shoulders, bringing her head down to his.

"Bad day?" She whispered.

"I just wish I knew what to do with her." Shawn mumbled.

"I guess we have to punish her again."

Shawn lifted his head and looked at his wife. He sighed. "She's been told too many times to stop skipping class. Not to mention sneaking around with that boyfriend of hers. I grounded her for two weeks, and she has to spend her weekends helping me on the ranch."

Rebecca kissed Shawn gently. "That seems fair enough."

Shawn looked down at the floor. "I wish he was here. He'd tell her-"

"Shawn," Rebecca placed a finger on Shawn's lips. "He's not coming back. You know that as well as I do."

"I know, Rebecca. I know."

Rebecca kissed Shawn on the forehead and walked up the staircase. Once she was out of sight, Shawn stood up and walked into the living room, where he approached a dresser with various pictures on it. One picture always caught his eye first. The picture of Cameron.

Shawn sighed. "I miss you."

* * *

In her room, Cheyenne sat on her bed and quickly laughed at the new text she had gotten from her friend Brittney. Once she laid down on the bed, she felt her phone vibrate, and quickly found a text from Derek.

-_Come over?_

Cheyenne sighed and tapped her phone's screen quickly since she heard footsteps down the hallway.

-_Can't. Grounded for two weeks._

Cheyenne sent the text and quietly laid back on her bed, thinking about what it would be like to live somewhere better than where she had been her whole life.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I wish I knew what to do with her." Shawn sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.

Rebecca looked at him from the other side, trying to find words that cold comfort her husband. She instead managed to sit up and wrap her arms around Shawn's chest.

"You and I both did the best we could, Shawn. You know that."

Shawn looked at the floor. "It's just not the same as when she was younger."

Rebecca kissed Shawn on the cheek. "Maybe things will be better tomorrow. Just get some sleep, baby."

With that, Rebecca let go of Shawn and quickly managed to lay back in the bed without difficulty, covering herself with blankets. Shawn remained in his place, waiting for his mind to clear of his horrible thoughts.

"I'm sorry I worry so much." Shawn said, looking at his wife.

"Shawn," Rebecca grabbed Shawn's arm, pulling him down gently on her bed. "Just go to sleep."

Shawn gave in and quickly settled under the blankets, reaching for the lamp in the corner, but also happened to notice a picture on the dresser. He had seen the picture every night before bed, but it was a fond memory to him. He put his fingers to his lips and placed them quickly on the two people in the picture. That of Cheyenne and Cameron.

* * *

Cheyenne tried to sleep soundly in her room, but quickly woke up to the sounds of her phone buzzing on the nearby table. She reached over and grabbed her phone, seeing the text she got from Derek.

-_Can't you sneak out? I miss you so much._

Cheyenne sighed and tapped her screen. She looked at her own text:

-_You know my Dad's gonna kill me if I do that. Sorry. See you at school tomorrow._

Cheyenne sent the text and waited for a reply. After a few minutes, she gave up, but as soon as she heard her phone buzz, she held it close to see what Derek had to say.

-_You don't need to take orders from an old man, Chey. I'll see you soon. Real soon._

With that, Cheyenne placed her phone back on her table and quickly tried to go back to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hunter slept soundly in his bed next to Stephanie, whose arms were around his waist. As Hunter opened his eyes slowly, he sighed and turned over on his back. He stared into the darkness of the room as the sunrise was peaking in the window. He suddenly heard the buzz of his cell phone on the table nearby. He rubbed his eyes and reached over and grabbed it, looking at who was calling.

Hunter placed the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"H-Hunter."

"Shawn?"

"Hey."

Hunter sat up in the bed, confused, feeling Stephanie's hands slipping from his waist. He listened to his friend as he spoke over the phone.

"...And I'm sorry for calling you, but I had no one else and I tried so hard to go back to sleep but I just couldn't stay up and wake everyone up and-"

"Shawn," Hunter chuckled softly. "Shawn, calm down, bud. What's wrong?"

"Oh, I...uh...have been awake for a few hours."

Hunter nodded in understanding, but he felt uneasy from the tone of Shawn's voice. Shawn sounded as if he'd been crying.

Hunter got up from the bed and walked into the hallway. "Are you sure your okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Hunter," Shawn sighed, a niffle following. "I just needed to talk is all."

"I understand." Hunter made way down the staircase.

Shawn niffled again. "I just want to talk, you know? Like old times."

"Yeah, man," Hunter leaned against the counter, sighing. "Did you have that dream again?"

Shawn paused a second before answering. "Y-Yes."

Hunter sighed again. "It's gonna be okay, man. Was it the same one from last time?"

"Yeah."

"The one in the park?"

"Y-Yeah. That one."

Hunter could feel the tension between the two of them and decided to think of better things.

"Hey," He said. "Do you want to come over today and check out the new house? I could pick you up."

"That'd be great and all, but I've got a lot to do. A lot of work on the ranch. So maybe-"

"Shawn, maybe you should take a break. At least come see your best friend."

Hunter heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Stephanie walking down the stairs in a blue robe. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"I-I don't know, Hunt. Maybe-" Shawn sighed and huffed hard into the phone.

"What's wrong?" Hunter leaned up in concern.

"I-I'm having bad thoughts. Nightmares get to me."

"It's alright, Shawn. Don't worry about it and you'll be fine. You won't remember it."

"Okay, Hunter. I could use the company."

"All right. See you, bud."

"Bye, Hunter."

Hunter hung up the phone and quickly looked over at his wife, who had a cup of coffee in her hand. Stephanie set the sup down and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist.

"What's wrong with Shawn?"

"How did you know I was talking to Shawn?"

"Because anyone who's smart enough knows you and Shawn call each other almost twice a week."

"Well, I haven't been in touch with him for a month."

Stephanie kissed her husband. "That's a new record."

* * *

Shawn looked at his phone as he sat straight in the middle of the bed. He finally closed it and placed it on the smooth blanket as he gripped a stuffed teddy bear in his arms. He felt weak when he was like this, holding a bear and sitting on a bed looking at pictures of a small boy posing with a tall figure. Another picture had a pre-teen boy smiling in his year book photo. Shawn felt tears in his eyes when he looked at the pictures he hadn't seen in so long. In fact, the room he hadn't seen in so long. Cameron's room.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"I wish someone would have told me about the chemistry homework," Cheyenne said as she walked down the hallway with Brittney. "At least you have the brains."

"So do you, Chey," Brittney laughed. "Don't worry. Just tell Mr. Short your two dogs ate it up again."

"As if he could believe that, and I never told him that," Cheyenne paused in front of her locker and picked at the combination. "I told him that I lost it. Maybe you're thinking about Jimmie Sanders too much."

Brittany looked around nervously. "Shh!"

"Sorry." Cheyenne whispered.

Cheyenne managed to open her locker and, when the door opened, a folded note fell on the ground. Cheyenne picked it up, and Brittney peered her head over at Cheyenne, signaling her to read it.

"Later. Promise." Cheyenne said.

The bell rang. Brittney quickly ran down the hallway as many other students raced to their classes. Cheyenne closed her locker and put the note in her pocket, walking quickly down the hallway to her chemistry class.

* * *

Hunter pulled into the driveway of the ranch and quickly stepped out of the car, swaying his car keys in his hands as he walked up the front porch and quickly knocked on the door. The door opened, and Rebecca answered, smiling.

"Oh, hey, Hunter," Rebecca greeted sweetly. "Shawn's here, but he's asleep in the bedroom. He didn't sleep well last night."

"I'm aware of that," Hunter said. "Can I see him?"

Rebecca moved out of the doorway to let Hunter into the living room. "You can try to wake him, but I don't know if he'll listen to you."

Hunter walked into the living room and noticed how there were new deer heads on the walls. Hunter shook his head and sighed, knowing his best friend was a skillful hunter and didn't want to bother his traditions. He turned and saw the dresser with the pictures on it. He sighed when he saw Cameron's picture. Hunter hadn't noticed Rebecca was staring at him while he was doing this.

Hunter looked at Rebecca. "He was a nice boy."

Rebecca nodded, her eyes closing tight. "Please...I don't want to..."

Hunter watched Rebecca walk into the kitchen in a huff, hearing the sounds of sniffles. Hunter sighed and walked upstairs. From the kitchen, Rebecca leaned against the wall and covered her mouth to block the sobs trying to escape.

Upstairs, Hunter quickly found a room and looked in it. The walls were pink and white with flowers painted in the corners. The bed shaped like a carriage.

"Definitely not Shawn's." Hunter mumbled.

Hunter closed the door and proceeded down the hallway, where he met another room and stood in front of the door. Before he could open it, he saw another bedroom down at the end of the hall, the door closed like all the other doors. Hunter turned his attention back to the door and opened it.

Inside, Shawn was laying across the bed without any blankets over him and holding a teddy bear in his arms. Hunter covered his mouth from bursting out in laughter. He knew it wasn't right to laugh, but he had never seen Shawn hold a stuffed animal before. Hunter chuckled against his hand and proceeded into the room, removing his hand and sat on the edge of the bed. Shawn stirred a little as Hunter leaned over to check out the teddy bear in Shawn's hands.

Shawn opened his eyes and saw Hunter leaned on the bed in front of him. He moved over on his side and let go of the teddy bear.

"Shawn?" Hunter questioned.

Shawn didn't move in his sleep and kept his breathing short.

"Shawn?" Hunter shook Shawn's shoulder a little.

"Hmm?"

"Wake up, Mr. Magoo, I told you I was gonna take you to the new house today, didn't I?"

Shawn sighed. "Sure."

Hunter leaned over Shawn's back and stared at him. "Shawn...why do you have a teddy bear?"

Shawn's eyes opened and looked around for the bear, and noticed it had landed on the bedroom floor. "Oh. I-I didn't notice it."

"Yeah, I'll take your word for it."

Shawn turned over on his back once Hunter had moved away from his body and face. He looked over at Hunter and then grabbed the teddy bear on the floor and looked at it in his hands.

Hunter noticed how sad Shawn looked. "Shawn?"

Shawn looked at Hunter.

"Haven't you suffered enough?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've suffered for a really long time, Shawn. I hate to see you like this."

Shawn looked back at the bear. "Maybe I'm still holding on to the past."

Hunter shook his head. "I don't want to be rude, but, you can't let go, Shawn."

Shawn sighed, refusing to say anything else. Hunter tapped Shawn's leg and signaled for him to get up from the bed. Shawn laid on the bed for a few seconds and got up, quickly putting on his cowboy boots and brown coat. He picked up the teddy bear and walked into the hall. Once there, Shawn walked a few feet towards the room at the end of the hall. He paused before opening the door and quickly walked inside, placing the bear on the pillow neatly before closing the door for good.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As the last bell rang in the hallway, Cheyenne raced towards her locker and quickly picked at the combination before opening it and placing her Science book inside while grabbing her Math and English books. Just as she was about to close it, someone closed it for her. She looked around and saw Derek standing behind her, a smile on his face.

"Hey, Chey." Derek said, turning his girlfriend around to face him.

"Hey," Cheyenne kissed Derek sweetly before looking into his green eyes. "What's up?"

Derek leaned in close to Cheyenne's ear. "I've got a one-way ticket out to the train station."

Cheyenne smiled brightly. "Which one?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Chey. The station which got abandoned years ago."

"Sounds like a good plan," Cheyenne looked at the books in her hand. "Oh, uh, I have to study tonight, so maybe-"

"This can't wait, babe. I need you to spend some time with me. We barely see each other already."

"Derek," Cheyenne ignored the students shuffling past the two of them. "We should talk about this on the way home."

"Home?" Derek lifted his eyebrows. "The place I want is with you."

"But what will my Dad say? He's not too happy with me already."

"Don't worry, Chey, I'll keep it safe for you."

Cheyenne smiled wide and kissed Derek. "You better."

* * *

"So, have you found any good schools for your kids?" Shawn was sitting on Hunter's couch while Hunter was busy making coffee in the kitchen.

"No, not for Vaughn and Murphy," Hunter called. "But I've found Rudolph High School very successful for Aurora."

"My daughter goes there. Maybe Aurora won't feel so alone. When does she start?"

Hunter came around the corner with two cups in hand. He placed them on the table and sat on the couch next to Shawn.

"Next week," He sighed. "I haven't gotten to her yet about why we had to move down here."

Shawn nodded and grabbed one of the cups. "Maybe she misses her old friends."

"She didn't have many friends."

Shawn sipped a bit of coffee before looking at Hunter. "I know how she feels. My family had to move a lot growing up, and it was hard for me, but I managed in my way."

"How so?" Hunter sipped some of his coffee.

"I guess I just kept myself away from people. Never really bothered me."

"I can understand that." Hunter sighed before leaning back on the couch.

Shawn placed his cup back on the table and looked at the floor. Hunter peeked up at Shawn and grabbed his shoulder.

"You okay, man?" Hunter asked.

Shawn shook his head, causing Hunter to lean forward and put his arm around his friend. Shawn leaned his head on Hunter's shoulder and felt tears in his eyes, trying so hard not to remember what was bothering him.

"Shawn," Hunter said. "Don't worry so much."

"I know," Shawn sighed, his eyes puffed with tears as he played around with the Hall of Fame ring on his finger. "I just can't forget, you know?"

"I know." Hunter hugged Shawn tighter as Shawn's face trailed with tears as his breathing turned into sobs.

Hunter heard his friend's cries and tried to think of ways to cheer his friend up. But, for one reason or another, he couldn't think of anything to do or say. He just held Shawn as he was crying on his shoulder. Hunter sighed and wrapped his arms around Shawn in full grip, causing Shawn to sob in his chest.

"Vaughn! Murphy! Get out of my room!" A voice screamed upstairs.

"Not now." Hunter grumbled.

Just as Hunter was about to let Shawn go and head upstairs, Aurora came down the steps with an angered look, her cell phone and Ipod gripped in her hands.

"Dad, can you please tell those two to get out of my room?!"

Hunter sighed. "Sure."

Hunter got up from the couch and walked upstairs. Shawn put his head in his hands as he breathed deeply. Aurora looked at Shawn and tried hard not to chuckle.

"What's wrong with you?"

Shawn looked up in surprise. "Do you talk to your parents that way?"

"Why should I care." Aurora checked her cell phone for any new messages.

"You've got a big attitude. If you were my daughter, I'd whip you black and blue."

"If you were my father, I'd beat you if you tried something like that."

"I'm sure your Dad might have something to say about that."

"What are you talking about?"

Then, a voice came from behind Aurora. "He's talking about me."

Aurora turned around and saw her Dad standing at the foot of the stairs. She laughed and felt her phone buzz from a new message.

"Dad, did you get them out of my room?" Aurora asked.

"Yes, and you can get in that kitchen and wash dishes before I have to get my belt."

Aurora looked at her Dad and rolled her eyes before walking into the kitchen. Hunter walked back towards Shawn just as Murphy and Vaughn raced down the stairs together.

"There's Uncle Shawn!" Vaughn pointed.

"Uncle Shawn!" Murphy yelled.

Shawn laughed and wiped away the last remaining tears on his face before hugging his friend's kids. Hunter smiled, but turned his attention back to Aurora, who was wearing yellow gloves and using a brush to scrub the dishes.

"Kids these days don't know a thing about working by hand." Hunter looked at Shawn.

Shawn managed to laugh. "I guess you're right about one thing."

Murphy picked up something from the corner of the room and pointed towards it. Shawn chuckled at the coloring book drawing that the kids had made.

"I made it for Mommy and Daddy, but I made it for you, too."

"That's sweet, Murphy. Thank you." Shawn hugged Murphy while Vaughn played with her Dad's hair.

"Ow, not so hard!" Hunter said, rubbing his head.

"Daddy, we didn't mean to anger Aurora."

"I know you didn't, honey, but try not to go in her room all the time."

"When's Mommy coming home?" Murphy asked.

"Soon," Hunter said, then caught a glimpse at Shawn, whose head was hung low. "Kids, go play in your room or go draw or something. Okay?"

Vaughn noticed Shawn's behavior. "What's wrong, Uncle Shawn?"

Shawn looked up. "Oh, I'm just tired. Long day."

Murphy pointed towards the coloring book again and Shawn looked at the new drawing.

"I see. That's impressive." Shawn said, smiling.

"Kids, go play upstairs."

Vaughn sighed. "Okay, Daddy. Bye, Uncle Shawn."

"Bye."

"Bye, guys." Shawn said, waving towards the kids as they raced upstairs.

Once the kids were gone, Hunter looked at Shawn and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Shawn. I know it's hard."

"They remind me so much of him," Shawn swallowed a sob. "I miss him so much."

"I know, bud. I know."

Then, Shawn's phone rang. Shawn picked it up and answered it. "Hello?"

Hunter sipped some of the coffee, which was now cold, and listened to Shawn's voice fill with worry and anger.

"What? No, that's not going to happen. What did I say the other day, Cheyenne? You...you want me to ground you for another two weeks? Is that what you want? What?! Cheyenne do not hang up the phone...do not-"

Shawn looked at his phone before closing it and placing his head in his hands.

"What is it?" Hunter asked.

"I'm about one second from getting in that car and driving to that station."

"What station?"

"The train station down on Fifth Avenue."

"Hey, I remember that place. We hung out there a lot when Raw came to San Antonio. Speaking of Raw, they-"

"Hunter, I don't have time to worry about the show. I need to go get Cheyenne."

Shawn was about the get off the couch, but Hunter grabbed his arm and stopped him from moving any further.

"Shawn," Hunter sighed. "She's a teenager. What did you expect out of her? She's going to have defiance every once in a while."

Shawn glared at Hunter. "Not my daughter."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_"Daddy! Daddy! Help me, Daddy!"_

_"Cheyenne?"_

_"Daddy!"_

_Shawn looked up from his crouching place and realized the voice and figure of his daughter was drifting away from him. He quickly got up off his hands and knees and looked in the distance. He saw a large figure pulling on a small, petite figure that of Cheyenne, her voice fearful._

_"Cheyenne!"_

_Shawn ran towards the little girl, his hands extended and curled into fists to stop the scuffle. He saw another small figure appear out of nowhere just as the large figure pulled out an object._

_"No!"_

* * *

"No!"

Shawn twisted in his bed, his movements fast. Rebecca placed her hands on her husband's chest and shook him a few moments. When that didn't work, she tried placing her hands on his face, but Shawn jerked back and continued twisting in bed.

"Shawn, wake up, baby," Rebecca whispered. "You're having a nightmare."

"Cheyenne...Cheyenne...hold on..."

"Shawn, Cheyenne's asleep in her room." Rebecca managed to stop Shawn's movements. She looked down and saw Shawn's hands shaking. She grabbed them and placed her hands on top of his, feeling the movements.

Shawn's eyes opened instantly and looked at the ceiling. Rebecca slightly smiled and leaned down and placed her head on Shawn's chest. Shawn breathed deeply and felt the movements of his shaking hands. He quickly managed to stop the movement and put one arm around his wife. He then realized he had tears in his eyes.

Rebecca sighed, looking at Shawn. "Same one?"

Shawn nodded, choking back a sob. Rebecca leaned towards Shawn and kissed his forehead.

"It's over," Rebecca whispered. "It's alright now."

"No," Shawn whispered, looking at his wife. "It's not alright. This time, I saw...I saw..."

Rebecca watched as Shawn sat up in bed and put his head in his hands, sobs following. Rebecca got the hint and felt tears in her eyes, daring not to sob for Shawn's sake. She threw her arms around her husband and watched as he placed his head on her chest.

* * *

Down the hall, Cheyenne heard muffled, but loud, sobs coming from her parents bedroom. She sighed and looked at the clock on her dresser, along with a picture she had put down herself every time her Dad had picked it up in her room. She listened closely to the sounds of sobs and hushes coming from the other room and rolled over on her side, burying her head in her pillow so she wouldn't start crying.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Aurora looked at her schedule and sighed, looking up towards the large and crowded hallway of students rushing to get to their next classes. She had managed to find her first two without any trouble, but this third class, Chemistry, was becoming a problem. She had wandered down the hall for at least six minutes until she noticed someone by their locker and decided to walk towards that person. No use of wandering forever.

"Excuse me," Aurora adjusted her backpack. "Do you know where room 306 is?"

The figure looked up, getting a gasp from Aurora.

"Cheyenne?"

"Aurora?"

"Wait," Aurora said, "You go here?"

"For three years now," Cheyenne said, sighing. "I can't wait until next year."

"What happens then?"

"Senior year."

Both of the girls laughed and Cheyenne looked at Aurora's schedule, Cheyenne smiling brightly.

"Hey, you have the same Chemistry class as me. I'll walk you there myself."

"Sounds great."

The two walked down the hallway side by side, smiling and laughing.

"So, why are you and your family down here?" Cheyenne asked.

"Because of my Dad's stupid business."

"That 'business' was where my Dad worked with yours, remember?"

"Yeah, well, your Dad's retired. Mine just keeps on working. Hell, I had to move away from all my friends to live in this un-exciting place."

Cheyenne looked at Aurora, then at the ground. "I understand."

"Oh," Aurora realized her mistake. "I'm sorry. I forgot you've lived here all your life."

"It's okay," Cheyenne smiled. "There's plenty of excitement here. There's-"

"Chey!"

Cheyenne and Aurora looked around and quickly saw a boy walking towards them. Aurora bit her lip in confusion, since she hadn't been prepared to meet new people in this part of town.

"Chey," The boy said slowly, stopping in front of the two girls.

"What, Derek?" Cheyenne asked, a smart tone in her voice.

"Why you talkin' to me like that? What did I do?"

"What haven't you done?"

Aurora looked at the two in front of her and decided it was best to stay quiet and let this conversation go.

"Excuse me," Derek shot a glance at Aurora. "Do you mind?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm Cheyenne's best friend." Aurora said, a smart tone she didn't expect coming out of her mouth.

"Says who? I'm Chey's best friend!" Derek stepped towards Aurora, who cowered back. "Not you! Who are you, anyway?! You don't look familiar!"

"Derek," Cheyenne grabbed her boyfriend's arm. "This is my friend, Aurora. We've known each other since we were little kids."

Derek turned around and shot a glance at Cheyenne before looking back at Aurora. "School's on break now...I suggest you get going before I make you."

Aurora eyed Derek before turning to Cheyenne. "Think you could help me find our Chemistry class before this dork messes it up?"

"What'd you call me?" Derek stepped towards Aurora.

Cheyenne quickly grabbed Derek's arm, attempting to pull him back. "Derek, stop! Of course I'll help you, Aurora. Just go down this hall and take a left. First door you see."

"Thanks, Chey." Aurora said, starting to walk down the hall.

Derek blocked Aurora from moving any further, his hands curled into fists. "Nobody calls her 'Chey' but me! Understood?!"

"Sure. Whatever. Now get out of the way."

Aurora shoved past Derek and continued down the hall. Once she was out of sight, Cheyenne sighed and let go of Derek's arm before looking at the ground. She soon felt Derek's breath in her face as he was close to her.

"What the hell did you mean when you said what haven't I done? Huh?"

"Nothing. Nothing besides get me in a whole lot of trouble. Thanks to you, my Dad grounded me for another month! I already had two months, Derek!"

Derek smiled a little and looked at the ground, then lifted his eyes. "So it's my fault, huh?"

"No. No, I wasn't saying it like that, I was-"

Cheyenne's words slurred when she felt a hand hit her hard across the face. She gasped and clenched her jaw, feeling the sharp pains beginning to sting. She felt tears in her eyes from the impact. She then felt Derek's arms wrap around her.

"I'm so sorry, babe," Derek quickly said. "I didn't mean it."

"No, don't." Cheyenne forced her way out of Derek's arms and walked quickly down the hall, not once looking back at him.

Derek watched as his girlfriend walked away, then put his head in his hands. He knew what he was doing, but he really didn't want to do it.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"That's nice that you and Hunter found a place of your own."

Rebecca held the phone close to her ear as she listened to Stephanie on the other end, talking about the new house and schools for the children. She noticed Shawn coming around the corner and sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Oh, we're fine. Shawn just had a bad dream last night."

"Rebecca." Shawn whispered.

Rebecca mouthed 'what' to Shawn, but Shawn said or did nothing. Instead, he put his head on top of his arms and sighed.

"Yes, I'm proud of you. I really am. Of course, we could all meet somewhere sometime."

"I'm gonna work on the ranch." Shawn began to say, getting up from the chair.

"Oh, okay, honey," Rebecca smiled at Shawn. "Now, from what Shawn tells me, the house must be beautiful."

Shawn sighed deeply and walked towards the front door, grabbing his shovel and cowboy hat. He went out the front door, slamming it from behind.

_"What was that?"_

"Oh, Shawn went outside. Working on the ranch. He's always working," Rebecca shot a glance at the front door. "It's the only thing that helps the memories."

_"Speaking of which...how are things going nowadays?"_

"Fine, I guess. Shawn works on the ranch most of the time and I'm stuck helping Cheyenne with her homework most nights and we-"

_"No, Rebecca. What I meant to say was how are things now? After...you know?"_

Rebecca's jaw tightened. "It's a mess. Shawn has nightmares at least twice a month. I know it's been years since the incident, but...I have nightmares, too. Day-mares, really. I keep thinking of the horrible things they all went through that day. Cheyenne hasn't talked about it since it happened, and Shawn can't let go. I've tried to let go, but...it just...comes to me, you know?"

_"I understand, Rebecca. I wish it didn't have to happen."_

Rebecca wiped away the tears on her face. "I-I have to go, Steph. My daughter just got off the bus."

_"Okay, bye."_

"Bye."

Rebecca quickly hung up the phone and placed it back on the wall. She wiped away the remaining tears as Cheyenne entered the kitchen with a sigh, quickly turning the corner towards the refrigerator.

"How was school, honey?" Rebecca looked at the floor.

"Fine." Cheyenne grabbed the jug of milk and placed it on the counter. Rebecca decided to look over at her daughter and walked over to her, hugging her. But Cheyenne shoved her away gently, walking past her.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked.

Rebecca grabbed Cheyenne's arm and swiftly turned her around to face her. "How could you say that to-"

Rebecca paused a second when she saw the purple and slightly swollen bruise on Cheyenne's face. She opened her mouth to speak, but Cheyenne walked out of the kitchen and raced towards the stairs.

"Cheyenne, wait!" Rebecca called.

Once Rebecca got to Cheyenne, she was midway up the staircase. Cheyenne turned around and looked at her Mom, angered that she was getting bothered my her own family.

"What happened to you?" Rebecca asked.

"Nothing." Cheyenne said, rolling her eyes.

"Cheyenne?"

"What?"

"How did you get that bruise?"

Cheyenne looked at the stairs before answering. "I was hit with a volleyball. There. You happy now?"

Cheyenne turned and walked quickly up the stairs, leaving Rebecca where she was. Rebecca stood there, shocked, and couldn't move. She felt something come up behind her and she turned around to see Shawn.

"Hey, honey, do we still have that screwdriver?"

"Shawn," Rebecca choked. "I think Cheyenne's keeping secrets from us."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Cheyenne sat quietly on her bed as she looked at the many texts she had gotten from Aurora and a couple of friends, especially Brittany. She sighed when one of the texts came from Derek and she put her phone on her bed. Just as she was about to lie down, she heard a knock on her door.

"Cheyenne? May I come in?"

Cheyenne sighed. "What is it, Dad?"

The door opened and Shawn entered, sighing when he closed the door and slowly walked towards the bed.

"I just wanted to check on you. Your Mom's pretty worried."

Cheyenne looked at her Dad, confused. "Why?"

Shawn noticed the bruise and pointed to it. "That's why."

Cheyenne touched the bruise, but winced when she felt it sting. She smiled a little. "Dad, it's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal, Cheyenne," Shawn's voice sounded uneasy. "Especially one that dark. I've seen bruises like those and they came from punches and kicks."

"What are you trying to say?" Cheyenne asked, hearing her phone buzz, looking at it.

"Don't look at it. I think you better start telling me the truth now." Shawn's jaw tightened.

"Nothing happened, Dad. Nothing. I swear."

Shawn closed his eyes, then opened them. "Why are you lying to me, Cheyenne?"

"Nothing happened, Dad! Nothing happened! I was hit with a softball!"

"I thought it was a volleyball."

Cheyenne felt her blood boil. "Dad, stop making a big deal out of it! You make a big deal out of everything!"

Shawn tightened his hands into fists. "Are you going to play innocent victim or you going to tell me the truth?!"

"It's none of your business to know what goes on with me! None of you! Not you! Not Mom! Not even your friends!"

"Don't bring Hunter into-"

"And another thing, don't treat me like a child because I'm not your precious little girl anymore! And that whole 'innocent victim' comment, I'm not the victim, Dad! You are! And Mom! No! The real victim in our family is Cameron!"

Shawn gasped under his breath, hearing his daughter's words, but when Cameron got brought up, his heart grew heavy from the force of the words. He sighed and quickly shut his eyes tight, releasing the grip on his hands. Cheyenne collected her breath and slowly realized how her outburst created tension between the two of them. She watched as her Dad quickly turned around and walked out the door and down the hallway. She jumped when she heard a slam of another door down the hall.

* * *

"...And now I bet my Dad hates me." Cheyenne said as she walked towards the High School with Aurora, who had gotten off the same bus she did.

"I doubt that. I'm sure he's okay," Aurora said, clutching the new books she had in her hand. "Hey, thanks for showing me around yesterday."

"You're welcome. Ow." Cheyenne had touched the bruise on her face.

"Chey, you know it's gonna show if you rub the makeup off, right?"

Cheyenne put her hand down fast, looking at Aurora. "Don't want that."

Just around the corner, Derek stood leaning against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest. He saw Cheyenne and Aurora and quickly walked over to them.

"Chey." Derek said once he reached them.

Aurora sighed. "I guess I better have your back."

"No need," Cheyenne said. "I've got this, Aurora."

"You sure?"

Cheyenne nodded, then looked at Derek, who had an impatient look on his face. Aurora quickly walked past the two and made way up the stairs towards the front of the High School. Cheyenne saw a couple of students walk past the two before either could speak.

"What?" Cheyenne asked, seeing the look on Derek's face.

"Did you get my texts last night?"

"Yeah, but I didn't read them, if that's what you wanted."

Cheyenne began to walk away, but Derek put a hand on her forearm gently and leaned in and kissed Cheyenne on the cheek. Where the bruise was.

Cheyenne pulled back. "What was that about?"

"I'm sorry I did that to you. I really am. Please...Chey..." Derek grabbed her hand in his. "Please find it in your heart to forgive me."

"My parents saw it, Derek."

Derek looked at the ground, uneasy. His eyes became wide. "And? Then what happened?"

"I yelled at my Dad. Then I said something I shouldn't have said." Cheyenne looked at the front doors of the School, about to walk up the stairs and forget the situation, but Derek touched Cheyenne's face, the side clear from the bruise, and smiled.

"I'm sure he deserved it." He said.

"No," Cheyenne shook her head, causing Derek's hand to jerk away. "No, he didn't."

"Yes, he did, Chey," Derek looked into Cheyenne's eyes. "He's an old man. What does he know? How to shine shoes and wash cars?"

"Derek, my Dad was a Wrestler. He could use those moves in real life, you know."

Derek chuckled. "You really think that?"

"Yes, I do."

Derek sighed, then began to walk up the stairs, but felt Cheyenne's hand on his chest and saw her lean in close to him. He smiled and kissed his girlfriend on the lips, Cheyenne kissing back. They continued this until they heard the bell ring.

Derek smiled and took Cheyenne's hand. "Let's go, Chey. I've got a surprise for you after School."

* * *

That night, Shawn paced the living room and waited for his cell phone to ring. He hadn't heard from Hunter and he really just wanted to talk to someone other than Rebecca. He sighed and gave up, sitting down on the couch and putting his head in his hands. He heard footsteps come around the corner and he looked up to see his wife.

"Shawn," Rebecca said. "I know what Cheyenne said hurt you, but, there's really no reason to act this way."

"Yes, there is, Rebecca," Shawn said, looking at his wife. "I'm the Father. It's my responsibility to look out for her."

"It's my responsibility, too, Shawn. We can't force Cheyenne to be perfect."

"I know," Shawn looked at the floor. "I know we can't make her happy."

"Shawn, she's happy. She's just at that age, you know?"

Rebecca placed a hand on Shawn's shoulder, rubbing it firmly, causing Shawn to breath deeply. Shawn slowly got up and looked over at the pictures on the dresser. The one of Cameron stuck out to him.

"Shawn, don't let her words get to you. What she said wasn't true. She didn't mean it."

Shawn looked at the floor again. "What if she did?"

Rebecca walked over to Shawn and put a finger under his chin, lifting his head up and placed a kiss on his lips. When the kiss was broken, Shawn sighed and nodded his head, understanding his wife.

"I'm worried about her, too." He said.

Rebecca smiled. "Glad you see it that way."

Rebecca walked back into the kitchen and placed the dishes in the sink. She sighed and began to wash them as she thought about her daughter. She hadn't seen Cheyenne since she came home from School and went straight upstairs. Her thoughts were interrupted when Shawn came over and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm gonna go check out the feed in the barn and see if we have enough for the Horses." He said, smiling.

"Okay, Shawn. Be careful." Rebecca smiled.

Shawn smiled brighter and walked into the living room, placing his cowboy hat on his head and grabbing a matchbox and a lantern on the side of the dresser. He lit the match and put it under the lantern, a spark of fire burning immediately. He put down the lantern and put on his cowboy boots, then grabbed the lantern and opened the door, walking outside in the cold air.

* * *

Shawn managed to look around the ranch with the lantern and saw everything was in place. He walked towards the barn and sighed as he heard the dirt crumbled under his cowboy boots. He reached for the handle and opened the barn door, the lantern catching sight of two figures laying in the haystack in the far corner. Shawn's eyes widened when he recognized the figures.

"Dad!" Cheyenne yelled, adjusting the top of her shirt as well as the buttons.

"Oh, Mr. Michaels!" Derek yelled, standing up immediately and panting.

Shawn noticed Derek had no shirt on and looked over at Cheyenne, the shirt gripped in her hands. He set the lantern down slowly.

"Dad," Cheyenne said, getting up slowly. "It's not what you-"

"Get off my property!" Shawn yelled at Derek, who took a step back in fear.

"Sir, we can explain." Derek said, his hands extended in front of him.

"Now! Before I call the Police!" Shawn walked over to Derek and quickly grabbed him by the collar.

"Dad, stop! Don't hurt him!"

"Get in the house, Cheyenne! I'm gonna have a little chat with your boyfriend!"

"No, Dad, you're gonna have to let me in on it, too!"

Shawn shot a glance at Cheyenne, not realizing he had let go of Derek. Derek took the opportunity and punched Shawn in the gut, causing Shawn to double over and grunt in pain. Derek then proceeded to punch Shawn a few times on his back and face. When Derek got a good shot at Shawn's face, Shawn fell to the ground and winced in pain.

"Derek, stop! What are you doing?!" Cheyenne yelled, trying to run over to stop her boyfriend.

"Leave me alone, Chey!" Derek caused Cheyenne to cower back. "This old man needs to be taught a lesson!"

"Like hell." Shawn whispered and managed to get to his feet, grabbing Derek and throwing him against the barn's wall, punching Derek until Derek laid out on the ground and clutched his stomach in pain.

Shawn stepped back from Derek and looked over at Cheyenne, but Cheyenne raced to Derek's side, holding him in her arms.

"Derek? Derek? How could you, Dad?"

"How could I? How could you do-"

Then, Shawn felt a heavy impact hit his chest. It startled him a second before he looked down and saw blood running down his shirt. He gasped when it finally hit him, and he started to have a hard time breathing.

Cheyenne gasped and let go of Derek, running over to her Dad, who was now doubled over on the ground.

"No! Daddy! Daddy! Talk to me!"

Shawn tried to speak, but his voice didn't find words to choke out. He noticed Derek standing up in the corner. Cheyenne looked over and saw Derek. Derek had a gun in his hands.

"Derek..." Cheyenne was speechless.

"Come on, Chey! Let's go!" Derek ran over and grabbed Cheyenne's arm roughly, pulling her away from her father and towards the door.

"No! Let me go! What about my Dad?!"

Derek looked in Cheyenne's eyes, gripping her tight. "He's as good as dead."

"No." Cheyenne whispered.

Cheyenne tried to break away from Derek, but Derek pulled her back and forced her out the doorway and over to the side of the barn.

"No! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Shawn heard Cheyenne's words the best he could. They were slurred. "Cheyenne..."

"Daddy! Dad-"

Cheyenne felt a strong force hit the side of her face. She saw nothing but black. Derek grinned and opened the back door of his car and placed Cheyenne in it, then proceeded to the driver's seat where he turned on the engine and sped out of the yard and on the road.

Inside the house, Rebecca heard the sounds of tires squealing and raced towards the front door, seeing a car speeding down the road. She noticed the barn door was open and ran down the steps and towards the barn. When she got there, she gasped at what she saw.

"Shawn! No!" Rebecca cried and ran towards her husband, hearing him desperately breathing of air. Tears ran down her face when she heard Shawn scream when she attempted to sit him up.

"Shawn, what happened?!" Rebecca sobbed.

"G-Get an a-ambulance."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Derek winced when he touched the large cut on his forehead. It stung pretty bad and was still bleeding a little from all the force of punches he had received. He gently placed the cloth back on the cut, and winced once again. Only this time, he winced too loud and heard the grunts and moans of Cheyenne on the nearby bed. He looked away from the mirror and faced her, her body sideways on the bed and her breathing beginning to improve. The bruise from the other day was still visible. Derek looked at the cloth in his hands and saw the blood stains. He felt a sting of anger in his heart.

* * *

Rebecca held her hands to her face as she felt tears in her eyes. She had been waiting for hours for the Doctors to come out of the emergency room where they took Shawn. She sighed deeply and looked around the waiting room, where only a few more people were sitting and waiting, too. Nothing else was around except for blank white walls and chairs lining it. Just as Rebecca was about to lose hope again, she quickly said a prayer to the one she trusted most. Of course, she had prayed for Shawn at least five times before then.

Rebecca felt her eyes close and suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up and saw a Doctor with blue gloves on, blood smeared all over them. Rebecca refused to look at them.

"Mrs. Michaels?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Doctor Humphrey. I'm sorry about all the waiting."

Rebecca choked in some air. "Is he...?"

"No," Doctor Humphrey said, a slight smile on his face. "But he lost a lot of blood. As of now, his condition is stable and he might have to stay overnight. That is, if he cooperates in time."

"What do you mean?"

"When the bullet hit your husband, it caused a leak in one of his blood vessels close to the wound. That's more blood than we expect, and we don't usually expect a lot of survivors, but your husband is one of the lucky ones."

"Thank God." Rebecca whispered.

"I'm planning to run more tests on him, but in the meantime he's been put in an isolated room away from other patients."

"Is it that bad?"

Doctor Humphrey sighed. "It's a process. There is one catch, however."

"What?"

"Your husband might be entitled to brain damage if something goes wrong in his system. Not enough blood means not enough oxygen."

Rebecca swallowed hard. "May I see him?"

"Only from the window. Come this way."

Doctor Humphrey led Rebecca down the hallway and around a corner. They went down a hallway past the emergency room and quickly took a flight of stairs before managing to make it to Shawn's room. Once they got to the large window, Rebecca choked back tears at the sight of her husband lying on the bed, a breathing tube in his nose as a heart monitor was beeping away near the side. Doctor Humphrey looked at Rebecca and sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," He said. "I wish we could stop these things from happening."

Rebecca nodded. "Me too."

* * *

Hunter stirred a little in his sleep as Stephanie had curled up next to him with her head on his chest. He breathed deeply and managed to find a state of sleep until the sounds of his cell phone woke him up. He grunted and reached for the phone and manged to grasp it at the third buzz, opening it and placing the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Hunter whispered.

"Hunter?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Rebecca. You need to come to Saint Regional Hospital."

Hunter almost bolted up in bed. Instead, he leaned up and put all his weight on one arm. "What happened? Is everyone okay?"

"No," Rebecca sounded choked up. "Shawn's been shot."

The words hit Hunter straight in the heart.

"W-What?"

"What's going on, baby?" Stephanie asked, leaning up and looking at her husband.

"We'll be right there, Rebecca. Don't cry, okay? We'll get there as soon as possible. Is Shawn okay? Okay. We're on our way."

When Hunter hung up his phone, Stephanie looked confused until Hunter got out of bed and put his pants on in a rush.

"Hunter, what's going on?" Stephanie asked, concerned.

"Shawn's in the hospital. He's been shot."

Stephanie's mouth almost hung open. "Oh, my God...is he okay?"

"They said he's stable," Hunter put his shirt on and got his shoes in the corner. "I can't sleep knowing my friend needs me."

"Honey," Stephanie sat up in bed. "I'll stay here with the kids. Go see if Shawn's okay."

"She asked for you, too." Hunter managed to put both shoes on.

"Tell her I'll be there when the sun comes up."

"Okay," Hunter said, grabbing the keys on the nearby rack. "God, please let Shawn be alright."

* * *

A few hours passed, and Rebecca managed to finally fall asleep in a chair close to Shawn's room. She still couldn't go in and see him, but she wanted to be as close to Shawn as possible. She heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall, and she looked up and managed to see the large figure of Hunter walking towards her.

"Hunter." Rebecca whispered.

"Hey, Rebecca," Hunter said. "Is Shawn okay? Anything new come up?"

"No, it's still the same. They're going to test him in a few more hours."

Hunter sat in the other chair close to Rebecca, making sure no one saw him take it from an office nearby. Rebecca let out a small smile, but quickly sighed and looked into Shawn's room, the still figure of her husband the same way he was the first time.

Hunter noticed Shawn's body and pounded his fist into his hand. "I'm gonna catch the hooligan who messed with my best friend."

"I don't know what happened," Rebecca said, looking at the floor. "All I heard was some tires squealing and...then I saw Shawn..."

Hunter put a hand around Rebecca, rubbing lightly to sooth the aching heart of his best friend's wife as well as his own.

"Steph will be here as soon as the sun comes up."

"Good."

* * *

At 9:30 A.M. Rebecca and Hunter woke up to the sound of a pair of heels coming down the hall. Hunter was the first one to notice Stephanie come close to the two and smiled lightly. Stephanie signaled Hunter to move over and Hunter got up from the chair completely, allowing Stephanie to sit next to Rebecca. Hunter stood there and watched as Stephanie put her arms around Rebecca, who began sniffling a little in her sleep.

Hunter walked over to Shawn's room and saw the body of his friend hooked up to so many wires and still. He felt angry, and, without thinking, stormed towards the doorway and opened it, walking straight towards the bed and pulled up the small chair and sat down next to his friend, whose movements were slim to none. Shawn's breathing wasn't the same. Hunter looked at Shawn's heart monitor and saw how the lines were a little short and somewhat in the middle of the screen. Hunter reached over and touched Shawn's hand, trying hard not to shed the tears in his eyes.

"Shawn," Hunter whispered. "Please don't fade away from us. Please make it through this. I'm your friend, more like your brother. Please."

Before Hunter could see if there was any response, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to see Stephanie behind him. Hunter nodded and got up from the chair, looking down at Shawn before walking out of the room with his wife.

* * *

Around noon, Shawn's movements didn't improve. He remained still on the bed. This had Rebecca worried. Hunter and Stephanie the most. Hunter and Stephanie decided to sit in the waiting room of the hospital while Rebecca remained in her place near Shawn's room. Doctor Humphry managed to get a nurse to test Shawn's condition and went into another room. Hunter and Stephanie allowed Rebecca to stay where she was while they went home a few times to check on Vaughn, Murphy, and Aurora, who was babysitting to her displeasure.

* * *

Around 1:00 P.M., Doctor Humphrey approached Rebecca with a slight smile.

"Doctor?" Rebecca was worried.

"Well, we tested your husband and he seems to be improving. But it's only about a ten percent improvement. I think you could be able to see him."

Rebecca smiled lightly and quickly walked into Shawn's room, where she sat in the chair next to the bed and grabbed her husband's hand, stroking it gently. Doctor Humphrey left the two alone.

"Shawn," Rebecca whispered. "Wake up, baby."

Shawn remained still on the bed, his eyes shut tight. Rebecca happened to noticed the bandaged wound on Shawn's chest.

"I know you can hear me. They said you were improving a little. Hunter and Stephanie are coming back soon."

Rebecca sighed and looked down at the floor, ready to pray once again. But, before she could, she felt something move under her hand. She looked up and saw Shawn's eyes looking into hers.

"Shawn?" Rebecca felt a tear roll down her face as she smiled.

Shawn blinked a few times, then, his eyes slightly closed. He started breathing heavily.

"W-Where's H-Hunter?" Shawn's voice was raspy and choked.

"He's coming back soon, Shawn."

"No," Shawn's eyes closed. "Shouldn't we be in the ring now?"

"What?" Rebecca whispered. "Shawn, your retired."

"No, I'm not..."

Shawn's voice faded as his eyes closed with tears coming down them. Rebecca cupped a hand to her mouth and felt a sob break through her lips.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Cheyenne...Cheyenne..."

Rebecca woke up to sounds of her husband talking. She looked up and saw Shawn moving in the hospital bed, rolls of sweat coming off his forehead. She got out of the chair and walked over to the bed, placing a hand on her husband's face as he kept moving about. Shawn whimpered a little in his sleep and opened his eyes.

"Shawn?"

Shawn looked at Rebecca in confusion. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, baby," Rebecca grabbed Shawn's hand, but Shawn pulled it away. "What's wrong?"

"W-Where is everyone?"

"Hunter's gonna be here tomorrow along with Stephanie and the Doctor's coming in a few hours, so-"

"No," Shawn sighed. "Where's the children?"

Rebecca swallowed hard. "I've tried to contact Cheyenne, but I can't reach her, and Cameron's...you know."

"What about Cameron?" Shawn's voice crocked.

"He's...Shawn, you know what happened."

"No," Shawn sat up a little in bed, confused, shaking his head. "Cameron's at his game, isn't he?"

Rebecca put a hand on her husband's face, tears almost rolling down her own. "Shawn...are you okay?"

"Yeah," Shawn looked around the room. "This isn't the ranch, is it?"

"It's the hospital."

"Cheyenne was in my dream."

"I know." Rebecca put her hand down and walked over to the door, opening it.

"Where you going, baby?"

"I'm gonna go for a walk. You stay here."

Shawn nodded and watched as his wife left the room. When the door closed completely, he sighed and laid back on the bed. He began to feel dizzy.

* * *

Rebecca walked down the hallway and spotted a few people at the end. She sighed and walked towards one of them.

"Doctor."

Doctor Humphry turned around. "Yes, Mrs. Michaels?"

"Something's wrong with my husband. He keeps talking out of his head."

"He's woken up?"

"Yes," Rebecca began to worry. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No. Let me see him."

Rebecca and Doctor Humphry walked down the hall and back towards Shawn's room. Rebecca opened the door and walked in. Shawn was asleep on the bed.

"Hmm," Doctor Humphry said. "Was he having any nightmares?"

"Yes."

"I see," Doctor Humphry walked over to Shawn's bed and took something out of a nearby shelve. He took the object and placed it near Shawn's arm. "This shot should help him."

Rebecca nodded, hoping her husband would be okay.

* * *

The next morning, Rebecca dialed a number on her cell phone and heard the many rings before it went to a voice message.

-_This is Chey. I'm not around right now. Leave a message._

Rebecca sighed. "Cheyenne, where are you? I've tried to call you ever since we got to the hospital and you haven't been answering your phone or the house phone. Are you even at home? Anyway, just please try to call us back. Your father needs you, Cheyenne. I love you."

Rebecca pushed the end button and closed her phone. She felt tears in her eyes, praying that the person in that speeding car wasn't her daughter.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Cheyenne felt dizzy as she sat up in a large bed. She looked at it and the surroundings of the room. The room was full of newspapers and a mirror in the corner along with a table. The lighting was gold and made the entire room a dark color. Cheyenne attempted to stand up, but her legs caved in under her and she fell to the floor, instantly feeling a pain in her wrist.

She gasped and whimpered a little, breathing deeply as she attempted to sit up. Then, the door opened and Derek came in, a worried look on his face.

"D-Derek?"

"Yeah, Chey," Derek smiled and leaned down towards his girlfriend. "I'm glad your awake."

"What the hell is going on, Derek?" Cheyenne glared at him as she grabbed her wrist.

Derek's jaw tightened. "Come on, baby, isn't this what you always wanted?"

"What are you talking about?" Cheyenne managed to sit up and grabbed the edge of the bed for support.

"Didn't you always want to get away from your family? Get out of this place for good? Well, now's our chance, baby. We can finally have a life together."

Cheyenne shook her head. "W-Wait. Where's my Dad?"

Then, it dawned on her.

"You...you shot my Dad."

"Baby, I-"

Cheyenne pushed Derek away. "You shot my Dad! How could you do something like that?!"

Derek backed away from Cheyenne's outbursts. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"What?"

"Weren't you the one who cried to me about your Dad many times back then? Huh?"

Cheyenne was about to stand up and yell at Derek, but felt a hard slap across her face and she collided with the floor, touching the sore place. She looked at Derek, who had a small smirk on his lips.

"Chey, you think that I wanted to do that? That I wanted to shoot your old man? No. But, hey, I did it anyway. Besides, the old man had it coming. Did you see the way he was beating on me?"

"Derek-"

"Shut up!" Derek slapped Cheyenne again, harder than the first time.

Cheyenne felt the slap sting on her face and she felt the carpet on the floor. She tried to sit up, but she felt something kick her in the gut and screamed from the impact, forcing her to lie on her back, clutching her stomach.

"Chey," Derek leaned down to her level. "This is what we've always wanted. To be together. Now," He grabbed Cheyenne's hair and pulled her up. "If you try to get out of here, that'll be a big mistake. And don't be calling the Police on your phone, either. I know every trick in the book, and I'm not going to jail for something you brought on yourself."

Derek pushed Cheyenne and Cheyenne fell on the floor, pain felt instantly. Derek left the room, slamming the door, and Cheyenne curled into a ball and began to feel sobs in her throat.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Hunter managed to hold Shawn's head as Shawn managed to drink some water. Once Shawn was through, Hunter gently laid him back on the bed and smiled a little.

"At least your starting to come back to us." Hunter said.

"Yeah," Shawn said. "Rebecca said I was talking out of my head last night. I don't remember waking up."

"Do you remember where you are now?"

"I'm in the hospital."

Hunter noticed that Shawn was frowning and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, man, Rebecca called the Police and they're checking the house with her to see if Cheyenne's there."

Shawn looked at the bed sheets covering him and noticed the bandaged area where the bullet hit him. He sighed and put his head in his hands.

"What?" Hunter heard Shawn mumble something.

Shawn took his hands away from his face. "I should have done better."

Hunter stood there taking in what his friend said. Then, the door opened and, to the surprise of both men, a Police Officer entered the room.

"Morning, gentlemen. I'd like to talk with Shawn alone, please."

Hunter looked at Shawn before getting off the bed and walked towards the door. The Officer made way to Shawn's bed before Hunter left the room.

"I'll be in the lobby if you need me." Hunter said, then walked out of the room.

"What's going on, Officer?" Shawn asked, confused.

"Do you remember what happened the night of the shooting?"

Shawn looked down, pondering. The memories were all a blur.

"I...I do remember walking outside to my barn and then I saw my daughter with her boyfriend. Is she okay?"

"You tell me, Mr. Michaels. Your daughter has just been placed as MIA."

Shawn's heart dropped. "W-What?"

"Your daughter is missing. We've issued a state emergency and everyone at the station has been alerted to-"

"But...my daughter was at home when I saw her with her boyfriend and she...she..."

"She what?"

"She...she was with him." Shawn's face turned white.

"Mr. Michaels?"

"Cheyenne was with him when I found them. Which means, she must have left with him."

"What's her boyfriend's name?"

"Derek. Derek Sánchez. I've met his parent's at school meetings."

"Focus, Mr. Michaels. How did you get shot?"

Shawn tried to remember. The memory was a blur. Before he could answer, the door flew open and Hunter came in, his face enraged and concerned.

"What do you mean Cheyenne's missing?! Shawn, Rebecca's crying down the hall and there are tons of Policemen down there with Stephanie."

Shawn threw the blankets on the floor and was about to get up, but Hunter came over and pushed him back down.

"No, Shawn," He said. "Don't act out like this."

"That's my wife! That's my daughter! My family!"

"Mr. Michaels, I'm terribly sorry about this, but we're doing the best we can-"

"Get out!" Shawn screamed as he fought off Hunter.

The Policeman shook his head and quickly left the room. Once he was gone, Shawn put his head in his hands, but Hunter grabbed and hugged Shawn, causing Shawn to cry in his chest.

"We'll find her, Shawn. I promise."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Dad, why are you making me do this?" Aurora asked as she sat in the front seat of the car, looking over at her Dad.

"We talked about this, honey. Cheyenne's your friend, right?"

"Right."

"So, you have to get questioned by Police, too. It only seems fair."

"But, Dad, I don't know anything about what happened that night. No one does except Shawn."

Hunter sighed. He hated when his own daughter liked to call people by their first names. "Shawn doesn't know what happened after the shots got fired, but he does know who Cheyenne was with before that."

"Who? Her loser boyfriend?"

Hunter lifted his eyebrows. "Exactly."

"I hate that guy." Aurora mumbled.

"Save it for the cops, honey."

After a few minutes, Aurora became a little worried. She looked over at her Dad, whose eyes were on the road.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not in trouble, am I? I mean, I'm not going to jail, am I?"

Hunter laughed. "No, honey, you're completely safe."

"Oh, good. For a second there I thought I was in trouble."

Hunter eased his laughs and managed to keep his eyes on the road, still thinking about his best friend and how he could help get Cheyenne back. She had been missing now for five days. Five days of hell, according to Shawn himself. Aurora looked over at her Dad before tapping the screen on her phone. Her text read:

-_Are you okay, Chey? Please text me back._

Aurora sent the text and waited for a reply, but after a few minutes, she gave up hope again. She bit her lip, hoping things would clear up soon.

* * *

Cheyenne shivered even as she was comfortably laying in the big bed. She opened her eyes and noticed how dark the room really was when no lights were on. You couldn't see a thing in front of you. She sighed and tried to move over on her back, but the sharp pains of the kicks she took from Derek earlier were starting to set in. She felt a sharp pain go up her back and stopped moving altogether. All the while, she could hear the buzzing noises of her phone, a small light in the corner shining through in the dark room. Cheyenne adjusted the blankets with her hands and acknowledged the cool feeling after being stuck under the blankets for hours. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Even that was too dark to tell out the patterns. Then, the door opened and Derek strutted in, flipping on the light switch as he balanced a bowl in his hands. Cheyenne huffed and laid her head back on the pillow.

Derek set the bowl on the far table and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge. His face looked a little bruised.

"Hey, baby," He said, rubbing Cheyenne's legs. "I knew you couldn't stay asleep long."

"Whatever." Cheyenne huffed.

"Chey," Derek touched Cheyenne's face. "Look at me."

Cheyenne refused to see her boyfriend, but, with one sharp pain clenching her jaw, she had no choice. She tried to jerk away from his touch, but it stung harder.

"What?" Cheyenne asked.

"I like it when your angry. It makes me feel like a god."

"Your no god to me."

Then, Cheyenne felt Derek's hand remove from her face, but it wasn't long until she felt a slap across her face. She yelled and touched the stinging sensation. Before Cheyenne could react, she found Derek's face close to her's, his breath breathing down her throat. His eyes not the same way they always were.

Derek smiled. "I like your attitude. Your old man must have been so proud. He must have been a sweet little daddy, huh?"

Cheyenne tensed up. "You know nothing about my Dad."

"I don't have to, Chey," Derek sat up and got off the bed. "I don't have to."

Cheyenne watched as her boyfriend walked out the door and slammed it shut. She looked over at the bowl, curious to know what was inside. She sighed and touched the stinging spot on her face again, the pain increasing. She frowned and curled into a ball under the blankets.

* * *

"Do you know if he was a bad guy, Mrs. Michaels?"

Rebecca contained her composer as she sat in the chair in the Police office. She felt sick from all the questions and worrying about her daughter.

"I knew that boy had a lot of time on his hands. It made me wonder what a simple world we live in, where everything's taken from you or given back to you."

"I see," The Officer wrote down something on his clipboard. "Where were you the night of the shooting?"

"In the house doing the dishes. I didn't know what was going on until I heard tires squealing in our yard and that's when I found Shawn in the barn."

"Can you remember exactly what the car looked like?"

"I think it was black or blue. It had a gold license plate."

"Did you catch the number by any chance?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid not."

"Okay. Mind if we bring in Aurora?"

Rebecca nodded. She hoped Aurora would know something about all of this. The Officer signaled Aurora to come into the room and she entered in a huff as Rebecca left the room with a worried look on her face.

Aurora sat down in the chair and sighed. The Officer smiled at her before grabbing his clipboard.

"Hello, Aurora Helmsley. This wont take long, I promise."

"Okay." Aurora whispered.

"Ms. Helmsley, how long have you known Cheyenne?"

"She and I have been friends since birth, I guess. I mean, my Dad and her Dad worked for the same company, so I've seen her a lot. Even as kids."

"What did you two do as kids?"

"We'd...play with each other. You know, stupid little kid games. We'd only manage to see one another through our parents, however."

"And?"

"And what?"

"And you were happy to see her every time?"

"Sir, what kind of place is this? I mean are we on a soap opera or something?"

"No," The Officer shook his head. "We're not on a soap opera, but we're not going to play around, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, please answer the question."

* * *

Outside, Shawn and Hunter watched Aurora getting questioned through the big glass window. The room was sound proof so you couldn't hear what Aurora or the Officer was saying. Shawn sighed and put his head in his hands. He just wanted to go home. Hunter looked over at Shawn and put his arm around his friend, knowing the torchor was too intense for him. Rebecca had gone out to the car, leaving Shawn and Hunter alone in the room, sitting in the chairs staring at everything before them.

"Shawn," Hunter whispered. "Why don't you go home? Take off some stress?"

"They haven't questioned me yet."

"I know, bud, but I think you should go. They didn't let you out of the hospital early to get sick."

"I'm not sick, Hunter," Shawn looked at his friend. "I'm worried. I'm sad."

"Shawn, it's not your fault."

Shawn eyes showed no emotion. His stare was blank. "It's all my fault. All of it was my fault. If I hadn't taken them to that place that day I-"

"Stop talking crazy and listen to me, bud," Hunter turned Shawn towards him. "Just go home. Please. I'll tell them you got sick or something."

Shawn looked at the floor. "Okay."

Shawn slowly got up and walked towards the front door of the station. Hunter watched his friend leave and sighed. Around the corner, Stephanie watched Aurora getting questioned and looked over at her husband. She limply smiled when Hunter looked at the floor.

* * *

In the car, Shawn and Rebecca didn't say a word to one another. Instead, they remained silent and kept their emotions hidden from one another. Shawn kept his eyes on the road as Rebecca kept looking out the window. In their minds, they both knew their daughter was in serious trouble.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: This is the chapter that explains what happened to Cameron. Just to be safe, this did not happen in real life. This is only a story and shouldn't be taken seriously because of this one chapter.**

Chapter 17

Shawn laid in bed looking at the ceiling of his bedroom. He sighed and looked over at his wife, who was asleep next to him. Although Shawn would be happy to see his wife at peace, he felt his heart break when he attempted to try to kiss her. Instead, he turned over on his side and closed his eyes. He opened them briefly and saw the picture on the desk of Cheyenne and Cameron. He would always kiss the picture before going to sleep, but he couldn't take up the courage to do so tonight. He sighed and felt tears in his eyes. The word _courage_ was strong, but he knew he was far from that. He closed his eyes tight, but the images of his two children became locked in his brain. He saw how happy they were growing up together. How things could never become different because of daddy's job.

Then, one day, it all changed.

* * *

**2015**

_Shawn smiled brightly as he watched his petite and happy daughter swing freely on the swing set across from the bench he was sitting at. Cheyenne smiled and laughed at her Dad, happy that she was able to finally come to her favorite park at last since Shawn had promised the family would. While Rebecca happened to be busy with the church gatherings for Sunday, Shawn decided to take the children to the park for old times sake._

_Shawn looked beside him and saw how Cameron was playing with his football in his hands, tossing it every which way. The pre-teen stage was setting in, and Cameron's only goal, to Shawn at least, was to become a football player like his Dad. Shawn of course wanted what was best for Cameron, and wanted his son to make his own decisions. Shawn got surprised two years ago when Cameron said he wanted to play football. Shawn let Cameron live his dream._

_"Son," Shawn smiled. "You want to play with your sister for a little while?"_

_Cameron looked at Shawn and looked back at his football. "I'll pass, Dad. There's nothing to this park except kid games."_

_"Come on, Cameron, I remember when you played on that same swing set when you were three."_

_"I was little, Dad. I don't remember half my early stages, anyway."_

_"Well, I do."_

_"Daddy! Daddy!"_

_Shawn smiled at his daughter. "Yeah, honey?"_

_"I'm going really high, Daddy!"_

_"I see that. Just be careful, okay?"_

_"Don't worry about me."_

_Shawn laughed and Cameron laughed a little. He looked at his football then back at his sister._

_"I could play with her for a little while."_

_Shawn smiled, patting his son on the back as he watched Cameron place his football on the bench and walked over to the swing set his sister was at._

_"Hey, Chey, you want me to push you?"_

_"Yes, Cam."_

_"Okay, here we go."_

_Shawn smiled at his two children, laughing and playing with each other. He grabbed the Bible in his lap and began to open to Ecclesiastes, a huge smile on his lips from Cameron's fake airplane noises. Since the bright, sunny day and the warm air kept this smooth, Shawn felt an uneasy feeling when he looked up briefly and spotted a man sitting on another bench not too far away. Shawn shook off the strange feeling and began reading his favorite Bible verses._

_After some minutes, Cheyenne and Cameron chased each other towards the monkey bars where Cheyenne squealed when Cameron grabbed her and tickled her. Shawn smiled and continued reading, but glanced up again at the man some two feet away. He felt that uneasy feeling again, but couldn't keep it long before the heat got to him and grabbed his water bottle, but it was empty. He looked at his two children before standing up and closing the Bible._

_"Cameron?!"_

_"Yeah, Dad?!"_

_"I'm gonna go fill this up! Watch out for your sister!"_

_"Okay."_

_Shawn chuckled and got a glance at his two children before turning his back on them and towards the water fountain ten inches away. He got towards the fountain in two minutes and placed it under the flowing water. He drank some of the water before turning around and looking at the nearby surroundings. God's greatest gift to mankind was nature._

_Then, a loud, terrifying scream engulfed the entire area._

_Shawn heard the scream and ran down the pathway, fearing the scream was that of his daughter's. He ran as fast as he could, even dropping the water bottle and Bible in an attempt to keep focused on the direction of the continuous screams._

_When Shawn got to the bench he was sitting at, the screams got louder. That's when he saw it: the man he had strange feelings about was tugging on Cheyenne's petite frame and dragging her away from Cameron, who was throwing punches at the man's back and chest. The man hit Cameron in the jaw and Cameron fell to the ground with a grunt._

_"Hey!" Shawn yelled._

_The man looked up and saw Shawn, proceeding to grab Cheyenne by the arm and drag her in a hurry._

_"Daddy! Daddy!" Cheyenne yelled in fear._

_Shawn ran towards the man and tackled him, sending Cheyenne to safety as she backed away from the scuffle, tears on her face. Shawn punched the man multiple times in the face and saw blood come out of his nose. Shawn felt like he had the upper hand, but the man grabbed Shawn by the hair and slammed his face into his, sending Shawn backwards and on the ground. The man stood up and kicked and punched Shawn hard and heavy, Shawn grunting and screaming from the pain._

_"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Cheyenne sobbed as she watched her Dad get beaten._

_After a few seconds, the man stopped his assault and ran towards Cheyenne. Shawn felt dizzy and tried to make use of where he was, remembering what was going on. He heard a loud scream again and turned around to see Cheyenne getting dragged away by the man again. Shawn grew angry and tried to sit up, but managed to get on his hands and knees._

_"Daddy! Daddy!"_

_"Cheyenne?"_

_"Daddy! Help me, Daddy!"_

_Shawn's anger grew inside of him and he quickly stood up and ran towards the man, ready to beat him up once again. No way that maniac was going to take his daughter. Just as Shawn was about to reach the man, he noticed someone appear out of nowhere and tackle the man. Shawn stopped running and saw the figure grabbing and punching the man, getting grunts from the man himself, having no choice but to let Cheyenne go._

_Then, a loud sound popped and echoed in the air._

_"No!"_

_Shawn stood there and felt his heart beat faster, the sound disappearing by now, at the new sounds of his only son Cameron gasping and panting for air. Cheyenne screamed louder and sobbed harder. Shawn stood there frozen as the man pushed Cameron off him and looked at the boy with a blood-stained shirt, a gun in his left hand. The man looked at Shawn, who looked at the man, and the man ran off in a hurry and into the woods, dropping the gun near the bench._

_Shawn ran towards Cameron and held him in his arms, the blood coming faster and Cameron's voice softer._

_"Cameron! Cameron!" Shawn shook Cameron's face, but Cameron didn't respond._

_"Cam?" Cheyenne sobbed, trying to approach the scene._

_"Stay back, Cheyenne! Cameron! Cameron, talk to me!" Shawn felt tears roll down his face and began sobbing after many failed attempts to bring his son back to consciousness._

* * *

_When the paramedics arrived, they looked down at the boy on the stretcher and sadly placed a white sheet over the body. Shawn's breath stopped then and there, holding Cheyenne in his arms as his son was loaded into the back of an ambulance. Cheyenne was still sniffling in her Dad's arms._

_"Daddy?" Cheyenne looked at Shawn._

_"Yeah, honey?"_

_"Are they going to make Cameron feel better?"_

_Shawn didn't know what to say. Or, really, how to explain. He could just come out and tell his daughter that her only brother had just been fatally shot by a psychotic maniac._

_"I know he'll be taken care of."_

_Shawn looked up at the sky, hoping God could hear him. Bring his son back to him. Then, a car door slammed, bringing Shawn back to reality._

_"Mommy!" Cheyenne said._

_Rebecca ran towards her husband and Cheyenne, grabbing and holding Cheyenne in her arms as she looked at Shawn. The look on Shawn's face told the story._

_Rebecca felt tears in her eyes and gently placed Cheyenne on the ground, then wrapped her arms around her shaking husband and sobbed hard against his neck. Shawn couldn't help but do the same. Cheyenne looked at her parents, confused, then looked at the ambulance and saw the blood on the white sheet. It dawned on her that her brother wasn't going to be okay._

* * *

_As the ten bells tolled over the arena, many of the superstars bowed their heads in respect as they honored the life Cameron had on Earth. In the front row was Shawn, Rebecca, Hunter, Stephanie, Shane, and Vince. Aurora and Cheyenne stayed backstage with Linda since she was caring for Vaughn and Murphy. Cheyenne watched the tv monitor and saw her Dad's face with tears all down it, his friend Hunter putting a hand around him. Stephanie did the same thing with Rebecca._

_Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler waited until the ten bells were over to talk to the home audience._

_"For those of you wondering what is happening, Shawn Michaels' son Cameron was fatally wounded just two days ago and for the Michaels' family sakes we will let the show be a tribute to the Michaels family and to their son Cameron." Michael Cole said as he attempted to gain his composure._

_"It's a sad day when one of your own is taken down, and this is a real-life situation that should not be taken lightly." Jerry Lawler concluded._

* * *

_Backstage, many superstars let Shawn alone in peace, but some decided to hug him and tell him to be strong, like John Cena and CM Punk, along with Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan. Mark Callaway came by and hugged Shawn before leaving the arena so he wouldn't be seen by the fans. The Divas comforted Rebecca with kind words, but Rebecca was still upset by the end of the night, Stephanie hugging her as the show came to a close with a tribute video of Cameron's life. Shawn looked on at the video and thought he was really seeing his son before him, but it all was a mirage and Shawn fell to his knees. Hunter walked over and hugged Shawn and hushed him as he cried hard in his hands._

* * *

_At the funeral, Shawn and Rebecca stood at attention with Cheyenne between them, holding Rebecca's hand. Behind them was Shawn and Rebecca's parents, as well as Hunter, Stephanie, Aurora, who was nine, and Vaughn and Murphy, Vaughn seven and Murphy five. A few other people were at the funeral, but Shawn couldn't recognize them. Once the casket was put in the ground, everyone but Shawn left to go into the church._

_Shawn stood there before the grave of his son, staring down at the brown soil that was covering the casket until nothing could be seen. The dirt piled higher and soon Shawn saw the grave turn into soil before him, the body of his son stuck in the ground. Forever._

_On the grave read:_

_In Loving Memory_

_Cameron Michaels_

_Beloved Son and Grandson_

_January 5th, 2000-November 18, 2015_

_A Child of God Gone Too Soon_

_Shawn read the words over and over until he couldn't read it anymore. His first-born, his only son, was gone and wasn't coming back. He looked towards the blue sky and clutched his hands into fists, but thought twice and let his hands free. He looked at the grave again and the tears came hard and flowing. He sobbed aloud that even the grave diggers had to leave him in peace. Shawn stood where he was for the rest of what seemed like hours. Soon, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Hunter behind him, nodding that it was time to go home. Shawn shrugged the touch away, but Hunter grabbed Shawn and led him down the graveyard towards the car where Rebecca was waiting._


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Cheyenne shivered when she opened her eyes and saw everything around her in a blur. She tried to turn over on her back, but the pain kicked in and she moaned from the strain. She blinked a few times, but her vision didn't clear but only a few specks. The pain in her arms and legs was nothing compared to the headache and pain in her back. She felt a warm substance run down her nose and mouth. She couldn't move.

Then, a noise echoed through the room and Cheyenne saw a pair of feet walking towards her. She moaned when she felt a cold dishcloth touch her sore face.

"Hey, Chey," Derek said, rubbing the bruises lightly. He leaned down on his knees. "I love you sweetheart."

Cheyenne closed her eyes when Derek's lips met her forehead. Derek pulled back and smiled at his girlfriend, using the dishcloth to rub the blood off Cheyenne's nose and mouth.

"Chey, you and I both know this is the only way to communicate. Don't you understand the love we have? We shared everything together," Derek placed the dishcloth on the floor and rubbed Cheyenne's hair gently. Cheyenne flinched back. "And now I want to share more with you."

Cheyenne moaned when she felt Derek's hands grab her own and pinned them on the floor. Derek climbed on top of Cheyenne and kissed her on the lips and neck, Cheyenne breathing heavily as she tried to break free.

* * *

"Mr. Michaels, I trust you can remember something before the shooting occurred."

"I told you, I don't know what happened. All I can recall was fighting the boy before the gun shots."

Shawn put his head in his hands, but looked back up at the Officer's eyes, seeing he was growing impatient with the same answers to the same questions.

"Did you happen to beat the boy so bad that he felt threatened?"

"Threatened? W-Why would you think...?"

"Well, after some facts given by your wife and friends, it could be certain you threatened the boy to self-defense."

"So, it's my fault? It's my fault my daughter's been kidnapped by a psychopathic kid who deserves to go to jail just as much as that man who killed my son?!"

"C-Calm down, Mr.-"

"Don't tell me to calm down! I've been driven crazy by this whole thing, and now I'm accused of threatening a kid! You don't know what threatened is until your whole family's threatened by a man who killed your only son and could go out and do it to someone else's family!"

"You're getting too defensive, Mr. Michaels."

"Why don't you go out there and find my daughter?!"

By this time, Shawn was in tears and the Officers outside the room looked at the fight and stayed quiet. Hunter looked at the room in concern as his best friend was getting emotional. Hunter stood up and walked over to the window and pressed his hands against the glass, shaking it a little. The Officer signaled Hunter and Hunter put his hands down.

Shawn sighed and wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Officer. I didn't mean to yell like that. I'm just...angry."

"Angry at what?"

"I'm angry at everything. I haven't eaten or slept in days. I think my hair is falling out. I-I just want my daughter back."

The Officer nodded. "I understand. You may go."

The Officer got out of his chair and opened the door for Shawn. Shawn got up slowly and walked out the door trying not to cry as he approached Hunter.

"Well?" Hunter asked.

"Let's just go." Shawn shoved past Hunter and walked out of the Police Station. Hunter sighed and followed him.

* * *

Hunter focused on the road, but tried his best to look over at Shawn and talk to him, but Shawn kept his head down and sniffled.

"Shawn," Hunter sighed. "We'll find her. The Police know what they're doing, so just give them time."

"How can I sleep at night knowing my daughter is out there? She's hurt, Hunt. I can feel it."

Hunter looked at the road. "I know your upset, but the Police should-"

"The Police didn't help my son, they didn't help my family. They just let that man roam the streets without a search."

"Shawn, that was one man."

"So? That man just ran away from my dead son and I didn't have the guts to chase after him."

"You did the right thing, Shawn. You tried to help Cameron. You didn't need to chase the man and get yourself killed."

Shawn looked out the window and noticed the dirt road around the corner, knowing Rebecca was waiting for him. Hunter glanced over at Shawn and continued driving forward.

"The turn was that way." Shawn whispered.

"We need to talk, Shawn. You need to get your head on straight."

"Cheyenne's my daughter! She and Cameron were the best things that ever happened to me!"

"I know, bud."

"How would you like it if your daughter was kidnapped and hurt?! Huh?!"

Hunter titled his head back and slammed on breaks in the middle of the deserted road. Shawn caught his balance when he placed his hands on the dashboard and looked over at Hunter immediately.

"What the hell's your problem?!"

"Shawn, my daughter has nothing to do with this! She's an innocent bystander along with my wife! You think I don't care about this situation? I do, Shawn. I really care about the safety of your daughter just like I cared about Cameron when he died!"

Shawn breathed deeply and looked at the floorboard. Hunter put a hand on Shawn's shoulder.

"We can't bring him back, Shawn. We can't live in the past. You have to take it day by day, just like Cameron's death. You didn't do anything for two months and one day you started working on the ranch again. Remember?"

Shawn nodded. "Yeah."

"I know your hurt. I'm hurt too, Shawn. I'm hurting for your family. Cheyenne's a bright girl and so is Aurora. They both have one thing in common."

"What?" Shawn had tears streaming down his face.

"They're friends like you and me. They know each other. The one thing about Cheyenne, though, is that she's the daughter of Shawn Michaels, the greatest in-ring performer of all time. My daughter is from Hunter Helmsley, the game and king of kings. That's the future for the both of us."

Shawn smiled a little and looked at his best friend. "I'm sorry I brought you into this."

"Shawn," Hunter smiled. "You didn't bring me into anything. I chose to get involved."

* * *

After awhile, Hunter pulled into the driveway and watched Shawn get out of the car in silence. Shawn approached the steps of the house as Hunter left the driveway and rolled down the road. Shawn sighed and opened the door to his home before entering the living room and closing the door.

"Shawn."

Shawn heard the voice and limply smiled. "Yeah, honey?"

"I love you."

Shawn grew confused from the tone of his wife's voice. "I-I love you, too, Rebecca."

"Shawn?"

"Yeah?"

"Please...please..."

"Rebecca?"

Shawn switched on a light and saw nothing in front of him, but when he looked down a trail of blood lead up the staircase. Shawn gasped and ran up the stairs shouting Rebecca's name hoping she could hear him. He paused in front of their bedroom door before opening it and seeing a note among the blood on the floor.

Shawn ran over, blood splashing on his boots, and picked up the note.

_Oh, Mr. Michaels. You think we can't come to a conclusion? I want you and your wife to be present for me and Cheyenne's holy matrimony. Date, you ask? That's not important. Just find your wife first. Cheyenne says hi._

Signed, Anonymous.

Shawn wanted to crumple the note, but decided to put it his pocket and raced out of the room shouting Rebecca's name. He checked his study and saw glass all over the floor, along with the cabinet doors opened with his guns on the desk. Shawn's breath stopped and quickly grabbed a rifle and checked for bullets before walking down the hall and opened every closet and room in sight. He opened Cameron's room, but nothing inside looked touched or tangled with. He closed the door and went to Cheyenne's room.

When Shawn opened the door, he heard moaning noises and saw his wife laying on the floor. He ran towards her and leaned down to touch her face. Rebecca opened her eyes and shook her head as Shawn looked at her.

"Shawn...look..."

Shawn felt a heavy impact on his head and fell to the floor in darkness.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Shawn? Shawn? Oh, God, talk to me, Shawn! Come on, bud!"

Shawn opened his eyes and saw everything in a blur, but soon found Hunter's worried face looking down at his. He bolted up and looked around the room, clutching his friend's arms that were around his waist.

"Easy, man. You look like you've had a bad fall."

"Where's Rebecca?" Shawn's tone turned serious.

"I don't know where she is. I tried calling you after our talk but you didn't answer and I came over to check on you. I saw the door wide open and thought something was wrong."

Shawn looked around and tried to get acquainted with his surroundings in the darkness. He looked at the ground and saw his clothes and the floor covered in blood. He touched his head and winced when he felt a hint of pain. Hunter pulled Shawn up and looked around the room.

"What the hell happened?"

"Rebecca's not here? Did you check any rooms?" Shawn walked down the hallway.

"No, I didn't see her," Hunter followed Shawn down the hall as Shawn entered his bedroom panicky. "Why?"

Shawn emerged from the room and breathed deeply, his movements fast. He shoved past Hunter and quickly raced back to Cheyenne's room and stood in the doorway.

"Shawn, are you okay?"

"He took my wife. He took my rifle."

"W-Who took-"

"Cheyenne's boyfriend. He must have slipped in here and knocked out Rebecca. There's blood all over our bedroom floor and on the staircase," By this time Shawn had raced down the hall to his study and grabbed two pistols and loaded them with bullets, his hands shaking. "I can't sit and wait anymore. He's got my family."

"Shawn," Hunter stopped Shawn, when he walked back into the hall, and put his hands on his friend's shoulders. "Think about the consequences. Don't do something you're gonna regret. Besides, we don't even know where this maniac's located! He could be anywhere!"

"I don't care anymore," Shawn shoved off the touch and put one of the pistols on the back of his pants and kept the second in his hand as he raced down the stairs. Hunter followed with a sigh as he tried to stop his friend.

"Shawn," Hunter said, but Shawn ignored him and kept walking. When Shawn was almost out the door, Hunter grabbed his arm and held him towards his chest. "At least put on some decent clothes. We'll go to the Police."

Shawn got out of Hunter's strong hold and breathed deeply, trying his best to calm down. "What if it's too late?"

"It's not, Shawn. Just get cleaned up first."

"Fine." Shawn walked past his friend and up the staircase, where the blood was dry by now, and managed to get into his bedroom and slammed the door.

While undressing, Shawn threw the pistols on the bed and kept looking at the blood on the floor. His wife's blood. Anger boiled inside him just from the thought of his family in danger. He wanted to find them, but he knew it wasn't the end of Derek's plans yet. Shawn slipped on a plain shirt and blue jeans but before he could throw his old pants on the ground, he grabbed the note and put it in his pocket. He grabbed the pistol and put it in the back of his pants again and held his cowboy boots before walking out the room and down the stairs.

* * *

"Wake up, Chey's Mom. Wake up."

Rebecca stirred from her sleep and saw everything around her black, her head pounding with pain. She tried moving, but felt something holding her back as she sat upright in a chair. She struggled again, but felt a stinging sensation across her face that caused her to stop. She screamed from the impact.

"That's better." Derek walked behind the tied-up Rebecca and put his hands on her shoulders, Rebecca flinching at the touch. Derek smiled and quickly checked the ropes on Rebecca's hands and the blindfold on her eyes before moving towards a cabinet and opened it, placing a somewhat bloody rifle he stole on a nearby table. Rebecca breathed deeply as she heard the click of the object.

"W-Why are you doing this?" Rebecca whimpered. "I thought you were such a smart boy."

"Oh, I'm smart all right. Sure, I got straight A's and such, but I'm smarter than that." Derek touched the rifle gently, his fingers tracing over the cold object.

"And what will kidnapping me prove? Your just setting yourself up for disaster. You can't hide. They will find you and when they do, they'll-"

Derek walked over to Rebecca and grabbed her hair and pulled it back, her whimpers loud as she attempted to escape, but her head jerked back tightly. Derek smirked and looked at her.

"Don't give me that speech. You know as well as I do that this is the only way. I've got everything planned out. Don't worry, Mrs. Michaels, I'll take good care of your daughter."

When Derek let Rebecca go, Rebecca looked at the ground and tried moving her hands against the tight rope, but couldn't budge them. She breathed heavily and tried to look back, past the blindfold, at the boy.

"I know there's a better way than this. You don't have to hurt other people to prove anything."

Derek looked at the woman before him, but scowled and looked at the rifle on the table. He smiled. "There's nothing I want to prove. I just want your daughter."

Rebecca's heart raced. "Where is she? Where's Cheyenne?"

"She's just fine," Derek placed the rifle in his hands and clicked it. He walked over to Rebecca and rubbed her hair with his free hand. "Don't worry your pretty little head about her."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

At the Police station, Shawn was bound to talk to somebody. All the people working was busy or on calls to take a minute to talk, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. He gripped the note in his hands and slammed it down on a nearby desk. The Officer looked up sharply before taking the note and read it before looking up at Shawn.

"What's this?" He asked.

"A note from my daughter's boyfriend. He's got my wife now. He's not gonna stop until he gets what he wants."

"I think we've got our chance at this guy. Wait here." The Officer stood up and quickly walked into another room. Shawn breathed deeply and paced around the room while Hunter waited near the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

After a few moments, the Officer peeked out of the room and signaled Shawn to enter. Shawn walked down the hall and into the room. Inside was a large machine with a light shining above it and the note was under the light. The Officer looked into a microscope on top of the machine before smiling.

"There's a few prints on this note. Some might he your's or his. Either way, we can track down the prints on our computer and use them as DNA to track down the boy's house and find his parents. Then, we could get the license plate records and track down the car."

Shawn smiled, then signaled to look in the microscope. He saw the many prints on the note, some of them swirled and some of them straight. Shawn looked up and over at his hand, seeing the swirled prints on his fingers and smiled. The Officer noticed and nodded his head.

"We've got this kid now."

* * *

After awhile, Shawn and Hunter managed to rest comfortably in the Police chairs as they waited for the results. Hunter was talking on the phone with Stephanie.

"I don't know when I'll be home, but tell the kids that Uncle Shawn's alright. We're trying our best to find Rebecca and Cheyenne. Don't worry. Okay, baby. I love you, too."

Hunter hung up his phone and looked over at Shawn, whose eyes were moving about in concern.

"What is it?"

"Why would that boy just come into my house and take Rebecca like that? She didn't do anything."

"I know, man," Hunter put a hand on Shawn's shoulder. "Steph's happy your okay, but now she's really worried about Rebecca as well as Cheyenne. We'll find them."

Shawn nodded, looking at his friend. "I know we will. The Police have a few leads now. Can you believe that Derek's parents didn't know about his disappearance? It's like they don't care about their son's safety."

"Maybe they were trying to look for him without the Police getting involved."

"I guess, but at least they know now."

"Yeah, you're right."

Suddenly, the Officer came out of the back room and lowered the cell phone he talked into. He smiled at the two gentlemen before handing them a stack of papers.

"We've got the parents, the car, and the license plate, but there's a slight problem."

"What?" Shawn became worried.

"The license isn't coming up on our system when we type it in. It seems like the car was stripped of records before the shooting took place."

"And what does that mean?" Hunter asked, seeing the look in Shawn's eyes.

"There's no way we can track the car anymore. We'll have to do a manhunt around the entire state of Texas. Mr. Michaels, we'll put up fliers of your daughter and try to get guard dogs to sniff out the scent if we can get any of Mr. Sanchez's' clothes and-"

"That's taking too much time! That's my family! I have to save them!" Shawn screamed as he stood up and looked the Officer in the eyes. The Officer jumped back and quickly placed his hands in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Michaels, but there's nothing else we can do at the moment. I'm truly sorry," The Officer put a hand on Shawn's shaking figure before turning around and picking up a radio on a nearby desk and talked into it, giving orders to start a search.

Shawn remained standing where he was and felt his whole body collapse under him and found himself on his knees. Hunter got out of his chair and leaned down and curled his arms around his friend, who cried softly in his chest.

"And to think we had him." Shawn sobbed.

"It's okay, Shawn. We're gonna find your family. That punk's gonna get what's coming to him."

Shawn cried harder with just the thought of his family in pain. He could feel something was wrong.

* * *

Shawn stood on his porch as he clutched the stick he had in his hands before letting it slide and hit the ground beneath him. He sighed and placed his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes as he tried to think about the positives of the situation. But there was nothing positive when it came down to his family's lives. His wife and daughter we're taken from him in an instant, just like Cameron had been taken away. He stood up and paced around the porch, feeling his arms ache from all the scrubbing he and Hunter did getting out the blood on the bedroom carpets and staircase. Hunter thought it would take Shawn's mind off things, but Shawn grew angry and didn't talk much.

Without thinking, Shawn walked down the stairs and walked into the fields of his ranch. He sighed and looked at the wheat and flowers growing on the left side while the right grew sunflowers. Shawn tried hard to not shed tears, but he let a few slip when he remembered how he used to chase Cheyenne and Cameron in the fields when they were kids for fun. Cameron always liked the game while Cheyenne didn't care about getting dirty. Every time she did, however, she'd laugh, but it wouldn't last as she'd let Cameron get chased around by Shawn.

Coming back to reality, Shawn walked along the side of the ranch and saw the barn before him. He grabbed a nearby stick and held it in his hands as he walked towards the barn. He walked up to the door and opened it, seeing the darkness thicken. He sighed and remembered a lot of memories he and his children shared in the barn, how Cameron used to help him pick up feed for the Horses and Cheyenne used to grab Shawn's tractor keys for him when he picked her up. But dark memories were here too, and not just the night he was shot, but a different night. A night he wanted to forget.

* * *

_Shawn curled into a ball as he breathed deeply in the cool night air. He wanted to forget the world around him and just be alone. By himself. He felt his entire body shake and shiver, but not from the cold. Cameron was taken from him, and now Shawn felt like his world was gone. The perfect fatherhood world he wanted to live in from the day his children were born until they were gone was gone itself. He shook harder when he closed his eyes and saw Cameron's smiling face. He was so close that Shawn just wanted to reach out and touch him. Shawn wanted to keep Cameron in his memory like this, praying this nightmare would end. He opened his eyes, everything still and silent and dark. He sobbed when his eyes strolled over the barn and saw a box in the corner. He slowly got out of his ball and walked towards the box and opened it._

_Inside were objects Shawn and the family had packed away to give to needy children around the world. They did it every year and this year was going to be no different. Shawn teared up when he saw the picture frames Rebecca had placed in there as well as Cheyenne's part of putting in a toy shovel she grew out of. Then, Shawn sobbed when he saw a small figure on the bottom of the box. A teddy bear that belonged to Cameron. Shawn picked up the teddy bear and started shaking. Many a night had Shawn seen Cameron sleep comfortably with his teddy bear as a young child, but now, he wished he could see Cameron hold that bear again. Cameron didn't want the stuffed animal anymore and cared only for football._

_Shawn sobbed harder and wanted those days back. He wanted Cameron back._

_He got up and held the teddy bear tight at his chest, walking towards his spot in the barn and sat down, sobbing and rocking back and forth as he clutched the bear harder and harder, tears touching it when they fell off Shawn's face. Shawn closed his eyes, but the pain was still there. His heart grew heavier when Cameron's image kept haunting his confused and angered mind. He sat there for what seemed like ages, but soon he heard noises and hid the teddy bear under a cloth. He didn't want anyone to take it away from him._

_The noises grew closer as the hay pulled down and Hunter appeared over the ladder, his eyes concerned for his friend as he straightened up and walked over to Shawn, sitting beside him and watched his friend shake and sob with his head in his hands. He had seen Shawn cry before, so it wasn't something to laugh about. Hunter wrapped an arm around Shawn and Shawn quickly sobbed hard in Hunter's chest. Hunter sighed and heard his friend's cries of pain and sorrow, trying hard to help him by wrapping his arms around his body completely, rubbing his back soothingly._

_"Shawn, it's gonna be okay, man," Hunter whispered. "Shh. It's gonna be okay. Shh. Shh."_

_Shawn kept sobbing and crying so hard his entire body was hurt. His heart the most. All he wanted was his son back, but he couldn't have him back because he was gone._

_After some time, Hunter had finally coaxed Shawn to come out of the barn. As Hunter wrapped his coat around Shawn's shaking body, the two friends walked to the house. Around the corner, Stephanie walked over to Rebecca and handed her an object. Rebecca sighed and contained her emotions as she grabbed the object and nodded at Rebecca. A man was also present, wearing a uniform, but walked away as soon as Shawn and Hunter walked to their wives._

_"Oh, Shawn," Rebecca sobbed, looking at the object. Shawn looked as well, gasping a little as he saw Cameron's football in his wife's hands. "He left the one thing he wanted more than anything."_

_Shawn started shaking harder and Hunter clutched him tighter. Stephanie put a hand on Rebecca's shoulder and smiled._

_"If you need anything just call us." She said._

_"Okay." Rebecca whispered._

_Shawn nodded and Hunter let him go, grabbing his jacket, and walked towards Stephanie. Vince, Linda, and Shane were waiting with the kids. Cheyenne was standing with Aurora._

_Hunter sighed. "Call us if you need anything."_

_Shawn nodded as Rebecca walked back into the house. He stood where he was and watched as his friend and his wife got into their car with their three kids. Cheyenne raced over to her father and saw the stuffed animal clutched in his hand. She teared up and took his hand. Shawn looked down at her and smiled a little before picking her up and walking towards the house. Cheyenne closed her eyes against her Dad's shoulder and tears rolled down her face._

_After Cheyenne was put to bed, Shawn sat in Cameron's room and clutched the teddy bear in his hands. Sitting on the same bed his son slept in for a long time. Rebecca came in and placed the football on the dresser, where Cameron always put it, and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder._

_"There was nothing you could do." She whispered._

_"Don't give up Cameron's bear. I want him back."_

_"Shawn-"_

_"Please," Shawn flinched away when Rebecca tried to grab the bear. "Let Cameron have his bear."_

_Rebecca nodded and wiped tears from her eyes before walking out of the room. Shawn sighed and placed the teddy bear in the middle of the pillow. He stood up and walked out the door, closing it behind him after getting one last look._

* * *

Shawn walked into the barn and sighed. He saw the shadow of the lantern in the corner and grabbed it, looking around for a match. When he couldn't find one, he walked back to the house and grabbed the matchbox on the dresser and lit the lantern before walking out of the house and towards the barn.

With enough light to see, Shawn saw the ranch clearer now. He looked around and everything was normal and still. He looked at the ground and noticed the dirt was smooth and steady, but that changed when he saw a few bits of black material sticking on the ground. Shawn leaned down and touched it, seeing the black liquid drip on his hands. He smelled it, and realized, from the smell alone, that it was oil. Shawn looked around for more, but instead of oil he found zigzags in the dirt with straight lines going across. He looked up and saw more of the same lines leading towards the back of the house. He stood up and crossed over the tracks and walked along them, watching them carefully to see if there was a stop.

* * *

Hunter breathed deeply as he finished up in the shower, his hair dripping from the hot water. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his body before looking at himself in the mirror and seeing the bags under his eyes. Lacking sleep was a horrible thing to him.

After drying off and putting on some clothes, Hunter laid down on his bed next to Stephanie and closed his eyes before pulling the blanket over him. Just then, his cell phone rang and he got up with a moan. He reached over and grabbed it, seeing who was calling. He opened the phone and put it to his ear.

"What's up, Shawn?"

"Hunter," Shawn's voice seemed panicked. "I think I found a clue to all of this."

"What are you talking about? The Police said that-"

"Hunt, I think Derek sneaked into our house after he parked the car in some nearby woods. I followed some car tracks and they stopped at the edge of the woods, then came back out to the house. He must have waited for me."

"Okay, but how could that solve the stripped car deal?"

"That's the thing. The car couldn't have been his. Anyone could hide a car, but there has to be a reason behind it, too. I think it was stolen."

Hunter sat up on one arm. "You think that car came from a different location?"

"It's a possibility, but I think the car's not in San Antonio."

"Oh," Hunter got an idea. "I think I got it."

"What?"

"Derek could have stolen the car, but how could he have taken it without knowing that it was stripped and left with no identity and an expired license? If you ask me, that car could have came from a junkyard."

Shawn thought a moment, then his eyes widened. "Not a junkyard. A train station."

Hunter's eyes widened. "You think Derek...?"

"Yes, Hunter," Shawn said. "I do. I know he and Cheyenne hung out there a lot, like we used to when Raw visited San Antonio for a show."

"I got it, Shawn. I think he's got your family hidden there," Hunter looked over and saw Stephanie looking over at her husband. "And don't you remember there were a lot of cars at that station besides trains?"

"Now that you mention it, yes, I do." Shawn said, his voice lightened.

"Shawn?"

"Yeah?"

"The Police had a record of that punk's phone number, right? I mean, they had to cough up some information on the boy's cell phone records?"

"They never said."

"Let's go down there and find out."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

As much as it pained the two friends, Shawn and Hunter waited anxiously for an officer to come out and talk. Shawn sighed and clutched the side of his pants, a feeling in his heart. Something indeed was wrong. Hunter put a hand on Shawn's shoulder.

"You okay, bud?" He asked, trying to ease the tension.

Shawn nodded and looked at the Police Station. "I wish someone would hurry up and come out here. Why don't we go inside? We're wasting time sitting here."

"Shawn, no one in that station has time to sit and chat. Just wait until one walks out the door." Hunter placed both hands on the steering wheel to relieve his nerves. As much as he hoped an Officer would come out and talk, he feared for Shawn's family, too. He saw Shawn tense up and ease back into the seat, sighing. Shawn's nerves was getting worse.

"Easy, Shawn," Hunter spotted an Officer walking out the front door. He gave Shawn a signal and the two got out of the car.

Once they got on the sidewalk, the Officer stopped in front of them with a worried look, his hands down towards his pockets. Shawn noticed this and stopped walking immediately, but Hunter kept a few paces between them.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" The Officer asked.

"Yes," Shawn stepped forward and sighed. "Me and my friend came by earlier to give the other Officers a note my daughter's boyfriend left, but all they could do was tell me that they couldn't get the car and-"

"Hold on, sir, I don't know what you're talking about. I've only been here eleven hours doing paperwork."

"Oh," Shawn looked at him. "Maybe you're not much help after all. Let's go, Hunt."

"Wait, Shawn," Hunter grabbed his friend's arm and stopped him in his tracks. He looked at the other man. "Officer, my friend's daughter was kidnapped by her psychotic boyfriend and could be anywhere in San Antonio. The boy was gone for a while and then one day he attacked my friend's wife and kidnapped her, then left a note stating that he wants to marry Cheyenne."

"Whose Cheyenne?" The Officer asked.

"M-My daughter." Shawn said, trembling. He couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to find his family now.

"Oh, I see," The Officer looked at the ground. "But what do you want me to do about this situation?"

"Well, me and Shawn here have figured out that maybe the maniac has his daughter hostage at the abandoned train station long ways from here. He stole a car from there and used it to kidnap Shawn's family. Does that make sense now?" Hunter looked over at Shawn, who looked concerned and worried.

"Yes, it does," The Officer smiled a little. "I do remember filing a search warrant out for a missing teenager this afternoon. Could that be your daughter, Mr., um-"

"Michaels." Shawn said.

"Mr. Michaels, could that be your daughter? It was a girl I filed a search for."

"It has to. I can't wait for a miracle! This maniac could be hurting my family or worse than that!"

Shawn was beginning to get upset and the Officer stepped back from the outburst. Hunter placed his hand on his friend's arm and looked at the Officer with a sigh.

"The reason why we're here is because we need to see if the parents happened to give out the punks phone number."

The Officer put his hands up. "Whoa, boys, I know you're here to get help, but I'm afraid we can't do that."

"Do what?" Shawn asked, concern in his voice.

"We can't give phone numbers out to the public. That's like put a serial killer's number on the spot so everyone on the web can see it."

"So, what are you saying? That the boy's family just gives out information, but yet the victim's family can't get a piece of it?" Shawn asked, his fist clenched tight.

Hunter placed a hand on Shawn's chest when Shawn attempted to step forward. "Officer, we need to get something about this boy. Any criminal holding someone for ransom would want something in return."

"That is true, but giving out a phone number is out of the question. Perhaps if we set up an interview with the boy's parents then we could see if-"

Shawn stepped forward, shaking off Hunter's touch, and looked into the Officer's green eyes. "You think I'm going to stand down and wait for my family to get killed?! You think I'm going to allow my other child to die?! I already lost one child, and I sure as hell can't lose the other! I can feel something is terribly wrong and I'm not going peacefully until that boy's caught and brought back here!"

The Officer sighed. "I understand your pain, Mr. Michaels, but I'm afraid we can't give you the information you want. I'm sorry, boys."

Then, the Officer stepped past the two friends and walked down the street towards his car. Shawn felt tears in his eyes as he looked at the sidewalk. Hunter patted Shawn on the back and gave him a nod. Shawn looked at Hunter and shook off the touch.

"We're never going to find them." Shawn choked.

"Shawn," Hunter sighed. "We'll find them. Forget this place. Let's go down to the station and see if our hunch is true."

Hunter stepped a little towards the car, but turned to see Shawn still standing on the sidewalk, his head looking at the ground as he dug his hands into his pockets. Hunter stepped towards Shawn and pulled on his arm gently, Shawn giving in and following Hunter to the car.

"I got two words for that Officer." Shawn whispered as he opened the door.

* * *

After driving down the empty road, Shawn decided he needed more time to think about Derek's plans. Hunter protested, but gave in and allowed Shawn to go home and rest. Shawn got out of the car and placed his cowboy hat back on his head, his face dried up from tears.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" Hunter called as he rolled down the window.

"I'll be fine, Hunt. Just go home." Shawn choked as he walked towards the porch.

The car cranked up while Hunter waved at Shawn as Shawn turned to wave at Hunter. Hunter pulled out of the driveway and the car kicked up dust from the speed of the tires. Shawn smiled a little and quickly turned towards the porch and walked up the stairs, waiting for a moment when Derek would pop out and attack him, so he could be with his family. Shawn shook his head.

"Why would I think that?" He whispered.

Shawn dangled his car keys in his hand and opened the door, walking into the thick darkness. He tried to adjust to the light, but he reached over on the wall and flipped on the light switch, everything the same as it was when he left. He sighed and walked into the room, seeing everything remained normal.

He looked over at the dresser and walked towards it, looking at the pictures of his family. Cameron's picture stood out many times before, but now it was the picture of the family that stood out. Shawn smiled and saw the picture, that of him, Rebecca, Cheyenne, and Cameron at his Hall of Fame induction. A tear rolled down Shawn's face when he remembered that night, seeing his family smiling at him as he gave his speech. He pointed them out to the audience and they loved every second of it.

Shawn managed to look away, but his blood boiled when he caught another picture on the far corner, that of Cheyenne and Derek, both smiling and wearing fancy clothes since it was Junior and Senior Prom night. Shawn couldn't believe that was five months ago, when everything was different. No one worried themselves to death over kidnapping and assault. That is, until Derek stepped into the picture.

Shawn grabbed the picture and dropped it on the floor angrily. He clenched his hand when he felt a sharp pain, seeing little bits of blood in his palm. Shawn slowly pulled out the glass and walked upstairs.

Once there, he walked towards the bathroom and washed the cut under cold water. He looked around and saw nothing was behind him or next to him. He turned off the water and quickly dried his hand on a towel. He grinned at the thought of that picture lying in a shattered mess on the ground. He walked into the hall and saw nothing on both sides. He went into his bedroom and sat quietly on the bed, his head in his hands as he started to remember why he was really angry. He wanted his family back and that's all he could think about.

"God," Shawn whispered. "I don't want to cause any trouble. I just want my family safe here with me. I feel like a failure to m kids. I couldn't protect them. I failed my wife. I couldn't save her. I don't know what to do."

Shawn leaned back on the bed and sobbed in his hands, his anger disappearing quickly. He didn't care if his cowboy hat dropped from his head or his keys came out of his hands, all he wanted was a miracle. Something that would tell him his family would be okay. His anger returned when he thought about that Officer at the Police station. He couldn't have cared less about the situation. Shawn sobbed harder and tried to think of the positives again, but nothing but hate and anger swept through him. All he and Hunter wanted was one piece of information, even a phone number, about the boy.

Then, it dawned on him.

Shawn breathed deeply as he tried to calm down. He sat up on his arm and thought. He tried to think of positives, and they suddenly came. Shawn slowly stood up and walked into the hall. He paused and saw Cameron's room, the door closed and empty on the outside. He walked down the hall and looked over at Cheyenne's room. His hands started shaking when he reached for the knob.

Inside, the room was the same way it always looked. The bed shaped like a carriage, the walls covered in flowers and a pink hue of paint. Shawn remembered how Cheyenne never made her bed, but seeing the blankets in order was a surprise to him. He swallowed a sob and walked inside, looking at everything. He looked over at the closet and opened it, but nothing was there except clothes and old dolls Cheyenne used to play with. Shawn walked over to the dresser next to the bed and leaned down slowly, looking at the jumbled mess of papers in the bottom drawer Cheyenne never cleaned. He breathed deeply and looked through the papers, the words on each one in perfect cursive handwriting. Most of the papers were normal and some were medium-sized, but Shawn's eyes widened when a small folded note caught his attention.

He picked it up and unfolded the note. The handwriting was different and small. It read:

_Hey, Chey. My parents got me a new phone. Call me at 221-773-2212. Love you, baby._

Shawn clutched the note in his hands, but released the pressure and stood up. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and carefully looked at the number, praying it was the one, and dialed it.

A smile came to his face when the phone started ringing.

* * *

Derek looked over and heard the buzz of his cell phone. He walked over to the table slowly and picked it up. At the third buzz, he looked over at Rebecca, who was still blindfolded and tied to the chair, her head moving at attention.

"Not a sound," He said, then pushed the button on the phone. He slowly brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

Shawn's jaw tightened. "You little punk. How dare you do this to my family?"

_"Hello, Mr. Michaels. I didn't expect you to be calling."_

"Enough games. Give me back my family."

_"Hold your horses, old man. I've got a lot of tricks up my sleeve to carry out before you can have them."_

"Don't think I don't know where you've got them. Me and my friend figured it out. You have them at the train station where you and Cheyenne would sneak out to every once in a while. You stole a car from there, too."

_"How would you know that?"_

"You knew it was stripped before you stole it. So you couldn't have any leads."

Derek chuckled. _"Oh, Mr. Michaels, I was mistaken. You really are smart for an old man...but also pretty dumb."_

Shawn tensed up, his hand curled into a fist. "Where's my family? What have you done to them?"

_"All in good time. First,"_ The phone crackled with static. _"Say hello."_

_"Shawn?"_

"Rebecca?" Shawn's heart pounded in his chest at his wife's voice. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

_"I-I guess so. Please Shawn, just be careful."_

"I will. Where's Cheyenne? Is she with you?"

_"No,"_ Rebecca's voice tensed with emotion. _"I don't see her. I can't see anything."_

"What are you talking about, honey?"

The phone crackled again. This time, Derek's voice echoed on the phone. _"Sorry, Mr. Michaels. Time's up."_

"What did you do to my wife?"

_"Oh,"_ Derek chuckled. _"I just tied her up and blindfolded her. Not a big deal or anything."_

Shawn started shaking as his breathing deepened. He looked at the ground before he glanced up at the ceiling. "Where's my daughter?"

_"She's safe here with me. I'm taking real good care of your family for you. Your wife, however, has given me hell all night."_

Shawn could hear whimpers in the background and his blood boiled. "I will kill you if you touch her."

_"And what if I do?"_

"Don't. Touch. My. Wife." Shawn was so angry he had kept tears from showing.

_"Okay. Okay. I won't touch her. I promise."_

_"Shawn."_

"Rebecca? Rebecca?! Don't touch her! Don't-"

_"You've got a choice, Mr. Michaels. It's your wife or your daughter. And, believe me, I'd take your wife, because if you don't, well,"_ Rebecca's whimpers echoed through the phone. Shawn felt a tear roll down his face. _"That'll be a mistake."_

"You're sick, Derek. I'll ask you once: What did you do to my daughter?"

_"Cheyenne? Oh, I've been taking care of her. She's gotten enough love from me than you could give her in a lifetime. As a matter of fact, she would be better off if you weren't in this world. She needs a real man. A real, young man."_

Shawn shook his head. "You're not a real man, Derek. You're a scared little boy."

There was a slight pause before Derek answered, _"Well, I better tell you what I want, then. Did you get my note about the matrimony?"_

"Yes, I did."

_"Good. Now listen closely. You already know the locations, but if were as smart as you think you are, you would know that anyone wouldn't hide their victims there without a purpose. Now-"_

"Just tell me what to do!" Shawn screamed, already having enough with this kid.

_"Patience,"_ Whimpers from Rebecca came through the line again. _"Now, here's the deal: you show up to the location at precisely 9:00 sharp, you'll get your wife back. But Chey, however, she's coming with me. Don't worry, you'll get a chance to see her before we sign the papers. That's if you make the right choice. Any questions?"_

"Yeah, I got one. Why are you in a hurry to marry my daughter?"

_"That's none of your business."_

"Oh, I think it is," Shawn smiled a little. "You see, I think you better reconsider marriage before-"

_"Just be here, old man! And don't think about bringing backup! No Cops. No backup. No problems. Got it?!"_

Shawn breathed deeply. He wished Derek was in front of him now.

_"Do we have a deal?"_

"Yes," Shawn choked. "We have a deal."

_"Good. You know where to go."_

Then, the line clicked dead. Shawn hung up the phone slowly and looked at the receiver before looking around the room. He walked to the dresser and saw the pictures. He teared up and walked over to the couch, grabbing his pistol and walking out the front door. He had no choice but to follow through with Derek's plans.

* * *

Derek closed his phone and looked at it for a few seconds. Then, without thinking, he threw it against the wall and it shattered. Rebecca slightly jumped and whimpered as the impact hit close to her head.

"Great," Derek whispered, pacing the room. "Just great."

"You really should reconsider. There's a better way than this. I know you're not-"

"Shut up!" Derek walked over and slapped Rebecca, her head snapping back at the force. "Shut up, I said! If you think that I'm not going down without a fight, then you're wrong."

Rebecca choked back a sob as she heard Derek's footsteps crawl away from her and echo down a nearby hallway or room. She couldn't tell. Then, she heard sounds of moans and small screams and listened closely to them. It was Cheyenne. Rebecca moved her hands against the ropes, but the ropes were too tight. She had no choice but to listen to her daughter's cries of pain as Derek was possibly hitting and slapping her around.

"Oh, God," Rebecca whispered, tears running down her stinging face. "Please help our family."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Shawn growled under his breath and closed his phone. He looked over at the clock on top of the dresser. 7:03.

Without thinking, Shawn reached into his pocket and pulled out the pistol. He checked the bullets and saw he had seven in there. He smiled. It would have to work. He placed the pistol back in his pocket and walked out of Cheyenne's room, quickly making way down the hall and to the bedroom. He grabbed his cowboy hat and placed it on his head as he grabbed his car keys. He emerged from the room and walked quickly towards the staircase, walking down the stairs and towards the front door. He was so mad he couldn't think to check the locks.

Once he was outside, he ran towards the barn, his cowboy boots tight, and opened the door. He walked into the darkness and saw the shadow of the old truck next to the tractor. He opened the truck's door and turned on the engine. Shawn eased his foot on the gas pedal as he exited the barn, but once he got outside, he slammed his foot down and sped fast out the driveway, dust kicked behind him.

* * *

Stephanie sat on the couch reading a book as she kept thinking of her husband, worried that he hadn't been home in a while. She looked at the clock and sighed, placing the book on the couch. As much as she tried to stay calm about the situation, she couldn't help but think about Rebecca and Cheyenne. They were in danger and it was a big deal. She stopped reading and sighed, throwing her head back, stressed from the situation. Then, Hunter entered through the doorway and Stephanie smiled.

"About time you showed up." She said.

Hunter closed the door and turned around to see his wife, who was in a silk nightgown and stretched out on the couch. He walked over to her.

"You look fantastic." Hunter whispered.

"Thanks," Stephanie whispered, taking her husband's hand and forcing him to sit down next to her. "I wanted to look nice for a change."

"You look nice to me," Hunter kissed her. "All the time."

Stephanie grabbed Hunter's hand and kissed it. "I thought that you and I could spend some time together."

Hunter smiled and kissed his wife passionately. Stephanie returned the kisses and wrapped one arm around Hunter's neck, the both of them leaning on the couch and placed Hunter's hand on her stomach. Hunter kissed his wife's neck and stroked her stomach, but suddenly pulled back. Stephanie looked at him, concerned.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Hunter asked, a slight chuckle on his lips.

Stephanie laughed. "Very funny. To answer your question, no, I'm not."

"Oh, good," Hunter said with a chuckle. He kissed his wife's neck. "For a minute there, I thought we were having another."

"Another what?" A voice asked.

Hunter and Stephanie stopped and quickly looked over towards the staircase, seeing Aurora standing inches from the two, her arms folded and her phone gripped in her hand.

"Oh, uh," Hunter stuttered, tossing back his hair. "Nothing. It's nothing."

Stephanie straightened out her shirt and sighed. "What is it, honey?"

"Vaughn and Murphy are in my room again." Aurora's voice sounded frustrated.

"Okay. I'll talk to them." Stephanie was about to get off the couch, but Hunter pulled her down and signaled her to stay.

He looked at Aurora. "Honey, I think it's time you fight your own battles, don't you think?"

Aurora looked at her parents. "Okay...but why?"

"Because if you don't, they'll never get taught a lesson."

"Trust your Father, honey. He knows what he's talking about." Stephanie said, smiling at her husband.

Aurora rolled her eyes and walked back upstairs, checking her phone at the same time. Once she was gone, Stephanie kissed Hunter's cheek and got up, extending her hand. Hunter took it and smiled brightly, his wife giving him a sly smile. Hunter kissed his wife and quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. Stephanie chuckled a little at her husband's strong touch and quickly made sure she could move. She grabbed his face and touched it, grabbing his hair in the process.

"Get out of my room!" Aurora's voice echoed throughout the house, causing Hunter and Stephanie to jump. Before they could continue, Vaughn and Murphy raced down the stairs in a panic.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Vaughn kept saying.

"Daddy, Aurora's being mean." Murphy said, her eyes innocent.

"All right, all right," Hunter said, slipping out of Stephanie's arms quickly. "I'll go talk to her."

"Good." Vaughn said.

"Teach her a lesson, Daddy." Murphy said.

Hunter chuckled and walked up the stairs. He could hear his wife's voice talking to the kids, but didn't matter what she was saying. He walked towards Aurora's room and quickly entered her room, the door open and Aurora sitting on the bed angered.

"Aurora?"

"Why can't they leave me alone?" Aurora had tears in her eyes. "It's not fair."

"Nothing in life is fair," Hunter sat down next to his daughter. "You just have to accept that."

"Oh, yeah, like coming down here? Yeah, that's something to accept."

Hunter sighed. He wrapped his arm around her, but Aurora shoved away and put her head in her hands.

"Honey, I know moving wasn't easy, but at least you knew Cheyenne and she's here, too."

"Cheyenne's gone," Aurora said, muffled. "I feel like it's my fault."

"How's that?"

Aurora looked at her Dad, tears rolling down her face. "Because she wanted me to come to the ranch that day."

"What day?"

"The day your friend was shot."

Hunter's heart sank. "Oh."

"I've tried to text her and call her, but she won't answer her phone. It's like she's gone for good."

Hunter nodded and sighed. "Shawn's really upset, too, you know? He's her Dad, and he can feel his daughter's pain."

"H-How's that?" Aurora looked at the floor.

"He just knows. Rebecca's gone, too, but that doesn't mean he can't feel her pain. He can feel because he loves them. Aurora," Hunter put a finger under his daughter's chin and made her look at him. "I would feel the same thing if something happened to you or your sisters."

"Really?"

Hunter nodded. "Why? Did you think I wouldn't?"

"No, it's just that...you said I needed to fight my own battles, right?"

"Right."

"So, that means I need to fight battles like moving, too?"

"Yes," Hunter smiled. "I'll tell you something Shawn told me. He said he moved a lot during his childhood and he found ways to cope. He didn't know anyone, but he stayed by himself most of the time, too. It's like when we first met. I was sitting on a bench my myself-"

"Dad."

"Yes?"

"Enough glory day stuff. We're on a different topic here."

Hunter laughed. "I guess you're right."

Aurora laughed and Hunter got up from the bed, but Aurora stood up and walked out into the hall and down the stairs. Hunter watched Aurora leave, but suddenly thought about Shawn. He knew Shawn was probably asleep by now, but he had to check. Hunter grabbed his cell phone and dialed Shawn's number, soon hearing the phone ring.

* * *

Shawn raced down the road with his foot sticking to the gas pedal. He stopped for stop signs and what not, but he wasn't going to break for anything else until he could get his family back. Shawn slowly came back to reality, his thoughts interrupted by the cell phone ringing in his pocket. He dodged his eyes towards his pocket, but decided to keep looking at the road. He pushed the brake pedal as he came to a four-way crossing and continued reading over the directions in his head.

* * *

Hunter kept hearing the phone ring, but then Shawn's long voice mail came up, which was Shawn singing his theme song, and closed the phone without a word. He sighed and walked downstairs. Once he reached the living room, Vaughn, Murphy, and Aurora were waiting for him downstairs.

"What's going on, girls?"

"We're sorry for bothering Aurora, Daddy." Vaughn said.

"That's okay, kids. Just get ready for bed, okay?"

"Okay." Vaughn and Murphy said together.

Aurora laughed and walked up the stairs after her sisters, but paused and looked at her Dad.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Cheyenne and her Mom gonna be okay?"

Hunter sighed. "I hope so."

Aurora smiled a little and walked up the stairs. Once his children were gone, Hunter walked into the bedroom and saw Stephanie laying on the bed, smiling at her husband. Hunter smiled and laid down next to Stephanie.

"Now that that's over," Stephanie said, tracing her fingers over Hunter's skin. "We can continue."

"Um, Stephanie," Hunter said, pulling away from her touch. "I'm worried about Shawn. He was upset after we left the station and I dropped him off at his house, but I think he's asleep. Just a feeling of mine, I guess."

Stephanie put a hand on her husband's face. "I'm worried about him, too. Cheyenne and Rebecca are the best things that happened to him."

"And Cameron." Hunter added.

"Yes."

Hunter kissed his wife, Stephanie returning the kisses, but he pulled away and looked around the room, concern in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Stephanie asked, balancing her weight on one arm.

"Something's wrong. I can feel it."

Hunter immediately walked towards the dresser and grabbed his car keys. He walked over to Stephanie and kissed her before walking out the room.

"Hunter," Stephanie called, jumping off the bed and following her husband. "Hunter, wait! Where are you going?"

"Shawn's house. Something's not right."

"This late, Hunter? What if you get hurt or something?"

Hunter walked over to Stephanie and kissed her before saying, "I'll try not to. Tell the kids I love them."

Stephanie nodded and watched her husband leave out the front door. She sighed and prayed things would be alright.

* * *

Hunter tried calling Shawn, but no one answered the phone. Even if it was a possibility that Shawn was asleep, there was no telling what Shawn could have been up to if he too upset or angry at something. Driving the car on a half tank of gas and taking his time on the road, whatever was bothering him, Hunter had a bad feeling nonetheless. He clutched the item he had in his lap from slipping before making the turn to Shawn's house.

* * *

Shawn squinted when he attempted to see past the thick darkness ahead of him, seeing nothing but damaged and rusting figures on the train tracks. He looked over at the many cars, using his flashlight to peak in them, but nothing was over there. Earlier, he checked inside all of them, but no one was found inside. Shawn clenched his fist as he attempted to find a way to get around all the barbed wire and steel laying on the ground to check the trains. He passed by one empty caboose, but nothing was inside. The flashlight Shawn got from the truck wasn't providing enough light to see.

Shawn walked back to the truck with a sigh, checking the time on the dashboard. 8:21.

Time was running out.

Shawn cut off the flashlight and thought about the hunch. He thought he had Derek fooled, but it was Derek who could have fooled them. With no other alternative, Shawn picked up his cell phone and saw he had four missed calls, identifying the number as Hunter's. He sighed and attempted to call him back, pressing the number into the phone. He clicked the talk button and slowly brought the phone to his ear.

As the phone rang, Shawn felt tears in his eyes. The horrible truth was too much.

"Hello?" A voice said panicky.

"Hunter?"

"Oh, my God, Shawn, don't scare me like this, man!"

"What are you talking about?" Shawn didn't care about his tone of voice.

"Your front door was open when I got here and I raced inside to check and see if you were okay. Don't ever do this again! I almost had to call the Police!"

"Oh, great," Shawn looked at the ground. "Like they're much help."

"Where are you, man? Just tell me and I'll come get you."

Shawn's jaw clenched. "I'm at the place, but, no one's here."

"What place?"

"The train station. Have you forgotten about the hunch we had?"

"Oh, Shawn, why?! Why are you there alone?! That boy could be waiting for you! Listen, Shawn. Do not go anywhere, okay?"

Shawn sighed. "It's not like I'm going anywhere else."

"Okay. Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you."

"I've got the truck with me if you want me to-"

"I'm coming down there, Shawn."

Then, the line went dead. Shawn looked at the phone and saw the call had ended. He sighed and closed his phone, placing it back in his pocket. He looked around the area and saw nothing but darkness and trains and cars. He wiped his eyes and proceeded to open the car door, preparing to sit in the front seat until Hunter came by. Then, just as he got his legs on the truck's edge, Shawn saw thick brushes and trees in the distance, sounds of birds singing in them. He edged off his truck and walked over to the hood, seeing the trees and brushes led into some nearby woods. Shawn walked back and grabbed the flashlight, then walked towards the edge of the clearing. Everything looked tangled and overflowing, prompting Shawn to push a few limps out of the way. He saw, as much as the flashlight shone upon, a brown and rugged pathway.

Shawn walked into the woods and saw the pathway extend in the distance. He grabbed his pistol and placed it in his hand, ready for anything to come his way.

* * *

Derek sat rubbing the rifle in his hands, smearing the blood all over it to give it a fresh red coat of paint. He smiled at the look of the blood and saw just how clean the object looked compared to the little blood spots. He heard the soft breathing of the tied-up woman in front of him and decided to set the rifle on the table.

He got up and walked into one of the back rooms. As he entered the doorway, he smiled brighter when he saw the breathing and limp figure that of Cheyenne. He touched her forehead and kissed it.

"Don't worry, baby," He whispered. "Pretty soon, It'll be just you and me."

Cheyenne whimpered as she tried to move her hands, but the tight rope around them made it hard to untangle. Her eyes were blindfolded as her skin was covered in small bruises and dirt. Her hair was a mess as her clothes were a little torn.

Derek walked away, chuckling and quickly entered the main room, seeing his girlfriend's Mom was still hanging on. Derek looked at the clock and saw how late it was. 8:44.

He smiled and grabbed the rifle, clicking it in his hands just for a tease. Rebecca whimpered at the sound of Derek's footsteps echoing over to the window. She tried to undo her hands, but her movements didn't work. Derek saw the thick darkness outside the window, nothing but trees and leaves dancing as the Birds sang outside. He smirked, but it came to a halt when he saw a faint light in the distance. He growled under his breath, seeing the light was getting closer and closer. Just from the crack in the window, sounds of dirt crumpling were a short distance away.

"Perfect," Derek said, looking over at the tied-up woman. "He's come for you."

Rebecca heard echoes in her ears and felt a shadow come over her. She tried to stay calm and brave as she tried to remove the tight ropes again.

Derek smirked, staring at the door, then looked over at Rebecca. He slowly gripped the blindfold and pulled it off Rebecca's eyes, Rebecca looking around the room immediately, then at Derek, who raised the rifle.

"I want you to see this."

Rebecca whimpered and looked at the door. Footsteps echoed outside and the knob on the door turned slowly.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Rebecca whimpered and looked at the door. Footsteps echoed outside and the knob on the door turned slowly.

Derek raised the rifle, as soon as the door cracked, and smiled. The rifle clicked in his hands.

"Shawn, look out!"

As a bullet flew out of the rifle, Shawn ducked behind the door and grabbed the outside handle so he wouldn't slip off the small porch. A hot flash raced past him as he hit the tough wood on the porch, a loud echo following. When the noise stopped, Shawn looked up and quickly got to his feet, his body aching from his quick movements. He grabbed his pistol and opened the door. Derek waited on the other side, this time crouched near a wooden chair with a knife across Rebecca's throat. Shawn slowly entered the small room, not bothering to close the door behind him.

"Glad you could join us, Mr. Michaels." Derek said, a slight smile on his face.

Shawn tightened his jaw and stepped into the room, the pistol gripped tight in his hand. Rebecca whimpered when Derek tightened the grip he had on her chest and the knife was sharp at her neck. Shawn almost bolted towards Derek, but remained calm. He noticed the rifle was sitting up on a nearby table.

"Let my family go." Shawn said, walking slowly towards Derek and his wife.

"Gladly," Derek smiled as he released some pressure on Rebecca. "But first, you must do what I say."

"And what if I don't?" Shawn gripped the pistol's clutch.

Derek noticed this and smiled. "Drop your gun on the floor and turn around."

Shawn continued to walk slowly towards Derek and his wife, but when Derek's hold on Rebecca tightened, Shawn stopped cold and felt his heart pound in his chest. Rebecca whimpered from the pressure Derek was giving her, the knife's sharp edge inches from slicing into her skin.

"Do it, old man," Derek smiled. "Or are you gonna watch your pretty little wife suffer?"

"Shawn." Rebecca whispered.

"I'll only ask you once: let my family go and none of this will be a problem. This doesn't have to go public. Do you want your parents to worry about you when you're-

"Shut up!" Derek shouted, causing Shawn to jump back a little and Rebecca whimpered. "Now, drop your gun and turn around! Now!"

Shawn tightened the grip on his gun, wanting to charge towards the little punk, but sighed and slowly placed the gun on the ground. Derek released Rebecca when Shawn turned around and ran towards Shawn and tackled him, punching and kicking him over and over.

"Shawn! Shawn! No! Shawn!" Rebecca screamed as her husband grunted and yelled from Derek's assault.

Derek kicked Shawn in the gut, causing Shawn to roll on his back clutching his stomach. He spat on the older man before letting him breath. He looked over at Rebecca, tears rolling down her face, and quickly kicked Shawn hard in the head. Shawn fell back on the ground with a loud grunt. Darkness followed.

* * *

Hunter breathed heavily as he tried to adjust to the darkness. The night was getting late and nothing was around except animals crossing the road and maybe a few cars. He managed to find the entrance to the train station and quickly pulled into the drive, seeing the street lights around it had gone out completely since the last time he and Shawn visited. He looked around for any sign of his friend, but all the trains and cars parked in the abandoned area where the only things around. Then, Hunter caught sight of a truck sitting in the middle of the station. He stopped the car and grabbed a flashlight and a few other objects before running towards the truck. He looked inside it and saw no one around. He checked the back. Nothing. He got a close look at the truck and saw that was indeed Shawn's.

Hunter cupped his hands to his mouth, despite the flashlight, and yelled, "Shawn?! Shawn?!"

* * *

Shawn attempted to see, but his vision was cut short by blurry images. He blinked his eyes several times and managed to see a little straight, but the blurry edges were still there. Footsteps echoed across Shawn's ears as he hung his head low, feeling the pain and stinging sensations all over his body. His head felt dizzy and weak as his mouth tasted something warm and flowing down his face. He tried moving his arms, but they felt restrained. He managed to look back, and saw his hands were tied behind him with ropes. He looked down, his feet the same way. He managed to look around the room, but nothing was around him except for a mirror and a bed, as well as a dresser with a few objects on it. Shawn couldn't make out the objects, but noticed his cowboy hat was sitting beside the dresser on a coat rack.

Footsteps echoed again and Shawn looked around, catching Derek walking into the room and smiling down at Shawn. Shawn attempted to move, but the ropes restrained him.

Derek walked over towards Shawn and, in an instant, slapped him hard across the face. Shawn's head jerked back and he grunted from the impact, trying to move in the chair.

"So," Derek walked over to the other side of the room. "Here we are. One big happy family. Just you, your wife, Cheyenne, and me."

Shawn breathed heavily, still recovering from the hard impacts. "W-Why do you want to marry my daughter?"

Derek picked up an object from the dresser. "Oh...she's too pretty to be alone all her life. I plan on taking her places no one's taken her before."

"You really think that?" Shawn looked at Derek. "She deserves better. She deserves love, but you can't give that to her because you're not the man who wants-"

Before Shawn could finish, Derek walked over and slapped Shawn again, the slap harder and painful than before. Shawn winced from the pain and quickly opened his eyes again, seeing Derek had a wallet in his hands.

"Nice picture." Derek said, shoving the picture in Shawn's face. Shawn looked and saw the family photo he had put in his wallet since Cameron's death.

Derek looked at it and pointed towards it. "Is that your son?"

Shawn grunted and tried to break free of the ropes. He really wanted to tackle the punk.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's your dead son, isn't he?"

Shawn flinched forward, causing Derek to step back and chuckle, placing the wallet back on the dresser. He picked up another object. This time, it was the pistol.

"Nice," Derek said, a smile on his lips. "I like this gun. Where'd you get it, pops?"

Shawn's blood boiled. "Why does it matter?"

"Just wondering is all. Seeing you must be a fancy wilderness expert and all. Cheyenne told me you had a lot of hunts with your friends. Killing animals for food and what not. Must have been nice. Was it? Huh?"

"You could say so," Shawn felt his heart grow heavy. "I never touched a gun again when Cam-"

Shawn stopped, unable to finish. His eyes threatened to spill tears, but he wasn't going to allow that to happen. Not now. Derek chuckled and put the pistol back on the counter. He walked over to Shawn and walked around him.

"You know, for an old man, you sure know how to get on one's nerves. Now I know how Cheyenne feels."

Shawn looked at the boy. "Where's Cheyenne?"

"Patience," Derek circled around Shawn. "I know you want to see her, but that's not going to happen now. Soon, but not now. Besides, I've seen more of her than you have in years."

Shawn looked at the ground, worried, but when he finally got the reference, he looked up in shock and his eyes grew angry as Derek chuckled beside him.

"Your little girl definitely isn't little anymore. Dont you agree, Mr. Michaels?"

Shawn tried to break away again, but this time he was slapped in the back of the head. He grunted on impact.

"Well?"

"Yes."

"Good," Derek looked in Shawn's eyes. "Glad we see things eye to eye. Maybe we have something in common."

"We have nothing in common, Derek. You and I are two very different people."

Derek looked at the cowboy hat on the coat rack and walked over to it, placing it in his hands. "Maybe so, but that doesn't mean we're family."

Shawn almost burst when he saw Derek place the cowboy hat on his head and looked in the mirror, clicking his teeth together before turning around and throwing the hat at Shawn's feet.

"You know why I kidnapped your daughter, Mr. Michaels?"

Shawn's blood boiled. "Why?"

"Well," Derek leaned down to Shawn's level. "I love her and I will marry her. And there's not a thing you or your pretty wife can do about it."

With that, Derek gave Shawn another good slap before walking out of the room and slamming the door shut. Shawn breathed heavily and quickly tried to undo the ropes again, but the ropes didn't budge. Before he could think of another way to untie the ropes, he heard screaming coming from the other side of the house. Shawn tried to turn around and see where it was coming from, but with the door shut it was impossible to tell. Before Shawn could turn back around, the door flew open and a body was thrown across the room and hit the floor with a loud grunt. The door slammed shut again as Shawn tried to get a good look at the figure, seeing the long hair and tattered clothing.

"Rebecca?" Shawn asked, his vision not much help.

The figure moaned and turned over slowly on the bed. Shawn gasped when he saw the figure's bruised and bloody face, the green eyes closed tight in pain as her arms and legs dangled on the edge of the bed.

"C-Cheyenne? Is that you, sweetheart?" Shawn pulled at the ropes as he spoke. "Please speak to me if it's you."

Shawn waited for the figure to speak, but it didn't seem possible that this bloody figure could b his daughter. Perhaps another victim stolen from another family.

Then, the figure spoke. "D-Daddy?"

The voice sent chills down Shawn's back as his eyes filled with tears. "Cheyenne."

Cheyenne opened her eyes and saw the figure of her Dad tied to a chair, staring at her with emotions she didn't think she'd see. She tried to sit up, but her body was so weak and hurt, she couldn't find the strength to do so. She felt tears in her eyes as her Dad attempted to break free of the ropes. She rolled to the edge of the bed and rolled off slowly, the ground hard and cold, and she managed to crawl slowly towards her Dad.

"Dad," Cheyenne looked at him as tears rolled down her face. "H-How did you get here?"

Shawn smiled. "I-I knew I'd find you again."

Cheyenne placed her head on her Dad's shoulder and sobbed, a warm feeling in her heart. She touched the ropes and immediately pulled on them. "I thought you hated me."

"Why would I hate you, Cheyenne?"

"Because of what I said. Remember? What I said about you? Mom? Cameron?"

Cheyenne sobbed harder and tried her best to untie the ropes on her Dad's hands. Shawn sighed and remembered the last conversation they had before the shooting.

"Oh, Chey," Shawn choked as tears rolled down his face. "I forgave you. I always forgave you after a fight. I was just...just taken by... surprise."

Cheyenne nodded and continued pulling on the ropes, finally feeling a loose knot and quickly untied her Dad. Shawn leaned down and picked at the ropes on his legs. Once they were off, Shawn stood up and grabbed Cheyenne gently, hugging her as she sobbed in his chest.

"I'm so happy to see you, Dad," Cheyenne sobbed. "I want to go home."

"I know, baby," Shawn whispered in her ear, trying to contain his emotions. "I know. Let's find your Mom and get out of here."

Shawn walked over to the dresser and quickly grabbed his pistol and wallet. Then, a loud scream filled the room and Shawn turned around, seeing Cheyenne being choked by Derek, who had a gun pointed to the temple of her head.

"No." Shawn whispered as he raised the pistol.

* * *

Rebecca tried to undo the ropes on her arms, but they still didn't budge. Her face was wet with tears as she tried to find a way out of this nightmare. Not only had she seen her husband beaten in front of her, she saw her husband limp and helpless as he was dragged away by the boy. She tried to call out, but Derek placed a gag over her mouth after dragging Shawn into one of the back rooms.

Then, the door creaked open and Rebecca whimpered as she closed her eyes tight.

* * *

"Drop the gun, old man! It's over!" Derek yelled as he gripped Cheyenne in his arms.

"No," Shawn said, raising the pistol higher. "Not unless you let go of my daughter."

Derek looked at Cheyenne, who gasped at the pain she was felt all over her body, and quickly smiled. "If that's how you want it."

Shawn watched as Derek let Cheyenne go, but Cheyenne was thrown on the floor and Derek pulled out a gun, a shot firing. Shawn ducked behind the bed as the bullet raced past him and hit the wall. Derek fired again, this time the bullet hit the bed. Shawn cowered lower and waited for a chance to fire back. He heard Cheyenne scream and decided to look up.

As the scream turned into pants, Shawn's blood boiled when he saw Derek pointing the gun at his daughter. In a panic, Shawn aimed the pistol at Derek and fired, but Derek dodged and hit the floor, crouching as he attempted to aim the gun at the older man. Shawn was about to duck down on the floor, ready to fight for his family's lives.

Cheyenne watched as the two men were about to shoot one another endlessly. Without thinking, she got up and ran over and tackled Derek, feeling her boyfriend's skin beneath hers as she threw the gun across the room and held down his hands. But Derek kicked her in the gut and Cheyenne doubled over, wincing in pain. Shawn's heart grew heavy as Derek stood up and punched Cheyenne multiple times. He raced over and tackled Derek, this time having enough strength to hold and punch him a few times before Derek punched Shawn and Shawn's weak body quickly fell to the floor. Derek stood up, his breathing heavy, and picked up the gun. He held the gun in his hands and pointed it towards Shawn, who breathed heavily and winced from the pain.

Derek smirked, his hand on the trigger. He was ready to pull it any second. Shawn cowered back as he felt the pains in his body.

"Hey." A voice echoed.

Derek looked over his shoulder in shock. Shawn managed to look over and got a good look at Cheyenne's moaning body, then looked up and smiled. In the doorway was a figure with a angered face and a sledgehammer in hand.

"Looks like it's just me and you, punk." Hunter glared at the boy as he pushed the sledgehammer deeper into his palm.

Derek looked at Shawn, then back at Hunter, then both looking at Derek as if they wanted him to make a move. Derek gulped and quickly heard the moans of his girlfriend, racing over and crouching down next to her, rubbing her shoulders as he dropped the gun on the floor.

"Baby, are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it. I swear. I didn't mean to-"

Hunter grabbed the boy and hit him hard in the gut with the sledgehammer. Derek doubled over and clutched his stomach in pain. Shawn sat up against the bed and tried to regain his breath as Hunter walked over to the boy and tightened his grip on the sledgehammer, planning to hit the boy again. Derek, however, suddenly got up and pulled on the sledgehammer, trying to jerk it away from the other man. Shawn was about to get up and help, his heart pounding, but suddenly gasped when Hunter screamed in pain and doubled over on his knees as the sledgehammer hit the ground hard.

"Oh, Christ!" Hunter screamed as he saw the blood roll down his arm, wincing in pain.

"No!" Shawn screamed, his eyes concerned as his heart pounded in his chest.

Then, his blood boiled as his heart grew cold. Derek had a knife in his hands as he looked at Hunter with a smile.

Shawn got to his feet immediately and tackled Derek, knocking the knife out of the way, punching him multiple times until he thought the boy was done for. He got up, panting, and saw what he had done. As Derek laid there grunting in pain, Shawn walked over to Hunter and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Shawn asked.

"Yeah," Hunter winced. "Oh, God, this hurts."

"You need a Doctor."

"You need to follow directions."

Shawn looked at Derek before answering. "Just get Cheyenne out of here."

"Okay. I freed Rebecca. She's outside."

Shawn raced over to Cheyenne and touched her face, seeing her green eyes were moving as her breathing was slim to none. Hunter stood up and clutched his arm as he picked up Cheyenne, pulling her over his shoulder and walking out of the room. Shawn grew angry and clutched his hands into fists, just thinking about the boy's way of treating those he was supposed to love. Before he could stand up, however, he was grabbed with great force and held into the air for a second before crashing onto the floor and held down. His body was aching as he attempted to breath from all the pressure being applied to him, a sharp substance at his throat. Shawn grabbed the knife and tried to pull it away, but his fingers caught the blade and he quickly touched Derek's strong arms. Shawn felt his eyes roll back in his head.

"Die, old man." Derek whispered in Shawn's ear.

Shawn tried his best to fight off the boy, but his arms were weakening from the pressure and his head was starting to get jumbled with dark and white light.

Then, the struggle was suddenly stopped as a sound echoed and popped through the air.

Shawn's vision came back to him as he looked at the boy on him, Derek's eyes wide and his mouth hanging open in shock. Derek turned around slowly as Shawn looked past the boy, seeing the figure of Cheyenne behind the two with a gun in her hands. Derek slowly doubled over on the ground and laid face first on the floor.

Cheyenne sobbed as she fell to her knees, Shawn staring at her with tears in his eyes. Shawn got off the bed and quickly raced over and hugged his daughter, the both of them crying in each other's chest. Hunter stood in the doorway and was about to walk in, but Rebecca put a hand on his shoulder and nodded at the Police Officers to come in and discard the body.

* * *

After awhile, Shawn, Rebecca, and Cheyenne walked peacefully to the truck while managing to heal their aching wounds. Shawn turned back and saw Hunter not to far behind, a bandage on his lower arm with little bits of blood seeping through the white material. In the background, Police Officers and ambulances were checking out the house.

"You okay, Hunt?" Shawn asked.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah," Shawn looked over at Rebecca and Cheyenne, the two hugging each other tightly. "We're all gonna be fine now."


	24. Epilogue

Epilogue

_"This is a decision you have to make. The choice is up to you."_

_"I don't know what I want to do now. I'm really scared."_

_"Trust me. You'll be just fine no matter what you choose."_

_"Okay. J-Just give me some time, please._

_"Sure. It's the best we can do."_

* * *

Shawn sat quietly on the couch as he attempted to read the magazine in his lap. He tried to focus on the pictures of Deer heads and trucks, but he soon got bored and started to fall asleep. He woke up when he heard the sound of the front door close and looked over to see Cheyenne a few inches away.

"Hey, Cheyenne," Shawn said, smiling at his daughter. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Cheyenne nodded. She sat down on the couch next to her Dad as he put the magazine on the table. "Dad?"

"Yes, honey?"

Cheyenne swallowed before looking at her Dad. "Do I still have to testify against Derek? I mean, it's been over two months since his death."

Shawn looked at the ground before answering, "I think it would do Derek's parents a lot of good. Their really upset and angry about the loss. I know how they feel. We all do."

"It's my fault." Cheyenne whispered, tears rolling down her face.

"No," Shawn looked at Cheyenne and wiped a tear from her face. "No, it isn't. You were defending yourself."

"I was defending you, Dad."

Shawn chuckled. "Yeah, you were. And I thank you for that. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, your Mom, or Hunter."

Cheyenne smiled and rubbed her hands together, then felt a bad pain and winced as she clutched her stomach. Shawn held his daughter's arms gently as she breathed deeply to ease the sudden pains. Cheyenne weakly smiled at her Dad and Shawn smiled back. Shawn tried hard not to shed tears as he let her go.

* * *

"So, you're really going to do it?" Aurora asked as she and Cheyenne walked down the hallway together.

"Yeah," Cheyenne nodded, clutching her books in her hands. "I really am."

"Wow," Aurora whispered. "You've got serious guts to do this, Chey."

Cheyenne winced back and put a hand on Aurora's shoulder while balancing her books. "Just Cheyenne, okay? I don't ever want to hear that name again. It brings back too many memories."

"Oh, sorry." Aurora looked at the ground.

"It's okay," Cheyenne approached her locker and picked at the combination before placing her books inside. "It's okay. Really."

Aurora smiled, happy for her friend, but felt a hint of sadness. "Cheyenne?"

"Yeah?"

"Is your Dad angry? After you told him and all that?"

Cheyenne grabbed her Math book and closed her locker with a sigh. "No. He took it well when I told him."

"And your Mom?"

"She understood everything once Dad explained it to her."

"Oh." Aurora smiled, but a feeling tugged at her heart. "What are you gonna do now? You know, with school?"

Cheyenne looked at the ground. "I'll figure it out."

* * *

"Dad, can I talk to you?"

Shawn peered up from reading his Bible and smiled, signaling Cheyenne to take a seat next to him. Cheyenne did so, and quickly sighed once she got comfortable.

"What is it, honey?" Shawn's eyes looked concerned. He closed his Bible after placing the bookmark inside.

"It's just that...you know this wasn't intended right? I mean, with the trial and all."

"Yes."

"Well, what are we gonna do about...you know?"

Shawn sighed and slowly put his hand on Cheyenne's stomach. He smiled and whispered, "I think we can work something out."

"But...how?" Cheyenne's face trailed with tears. Her emotions were out of control.

"I know how. Trust me," Shawn said, looking into Cheyenne's eyes. "I'm gonna help you out with this. No Father would ever want his children to fight this alone. Me and your Mom will help you, okay?"

Cheyenne sobbed a little, but nodded her head as she felt a pain. "Okay, Dad."

* * *

**Two Years Later**

Hunter pulled into the driveway and kicked up the dust as the car came to a stop. He grinned when he saw Shawn wave at him from the porch and quickly walked up the stairs, a bright smile on his face as he pushed back his hair.

"You're in a good mood today. What's the catch?" Shawn asked, smiling.

Hunter sat in a chair next to Shawn. He sighed. "Well, Raw called and they wanted you back on the show for a few nights."

"Hunt," Shawn shook his head. "You know I'm retired. And besides, I'm getting old. I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning now than I used to."

Hunter chuckled and put on a hand on Shawn's knee. "You'll be fine, Shawn."

Shawn looked at his friend and smiled. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just tell Vince I'm busy."

"Shawn-"

"Hunt, I don't want to-"

"Uncle Hunter! Uncle Hunter!" A small, high-pitched voice echoed through the yard.

Hunter laughed under his breath and smiled wide as a small boy ran up the stairs and into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Oh," Hunter said, trying to regain some of his breath. "I didn't realize you were here. Man, you've gotten so big, Cameron."

Cameron laughed and looked at his Grandfather and smiled at him. Shawn smiled back and watched as Cameron quickly sat in his lap, laughing.

"They Cam," Hunter asked. "Are you going to be a real hero when you grow up?"

Cameron nodded, then looked at Shawn. "I want Grandpa."

Hunter shrugged and leaned back in his chair. Shawn smiled and said, "That mean he wants to be like me."

Cameron smiled when Shawn started tickling him. Cameron started laughing hard, but he turned around and saw his Mom coming up the stairs.

"Mommy!"

Cameron easily got out of Shawn's lap and ran to his Mom. Cheyenne picked up Cameron and kissed him as she laughed. She winked at her Dad before entering the house.

Shawn and Hunter laughed a little as they continued thinking about how the world around them seemed alright. For now, they could live in peace.

**The End**


End file.
